Saudis give nod to Israeli raid on Iran

[laststeamtrain]

Source: Times Online

From The Sunday Times
July 5, 2009
Saudis give nod to Israeli raid on Iran
Uzi Mahnaimi in Tel Aviv and Sarah Baxter

The head of Mossad, Israel’s overseas intelligence service, has assured Benjamin Netanyahu, its prime minister, that Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Iran’s nuclear sites.

Earlier this year Meir Dagan, Mossad’s director since 2002, held secret talks with Saudi officials to discuss the possibility.

The Israeli press has already carried unconfirmed reports that high-ranking officials, including Ehud Olmert, the former prime minister, held meetings with Saudi colleagues. The reports were denied by Saudi officials.

“The Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israeli air force flying through their airspace on a mission which is supposed to be in the common interests of both Israel and Saudi Arabia,” a diplomatic source said last week.

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east...

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. And these are the countries we call our "friends"?

un-fucking-believable.

[timeforpeace]

2. I would love to see dinnerjacket's reaction when he hears about this.

[leveymg]

41. That's exactly what it's supposed to provoke: a reaction from Iran

Cassus Belli. Your screen name is mischosen, if you think that's a good thing.

[scarletwoman]

3. When I read something like this, my first question is "Who planted this story, and why?" nt

[DeSwiss]

4. Exactly.

[The Magistrate]

9. An Excellent Question Indeed, Ma'am

And in this instance, the possible suspects are too numerous to quickly summarize....

[aquart]

30. Ahmadinejad?

Best thing that could happen to him. A George Bush favorite tactic. "Monsters are coming!"

[scarletwoman]

34. What? Ahmedinejad planted the story? That doesn't make any sense at all.

Seriously, since when would the UK Times deal with anonymous sources from the Ahmedinejad government?

[WCGreen]

5. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

[Ikonoklast]

6. I, for one, believe everything Mossad has to say.

They would never lie.

[Capt_Nemo]

7. Yeah, and the IDF tells Ahmadinejad, via Ruppert Murdoch's rag

Where the strike is comming from...

[asjr]

8. What nefarious scheme are the Saudis not

engaged in?

[Crooked Moon]

10. this, coupled with biden's comment this morning...

suggests (to me, at least) that a strike may be coming sooner rather than later.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/05/ap/preswho/ma...

(AP) Vice President Joe Biden says the U.S. will not stand in Israel's way if Israel believes military action is needed to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat.

Biden says the U.S. "cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do."

Israel considers Iran its most dangerous adversary and is wary of hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who just won a disputed re-election. He repeatedly has called for Israel to be wiped off the map.

Israel and the U.S. accuse Iran of seeking to develop weapons under the cover of a nuclear power program. Iran denies that.

Biden told ABC's "This Week" that Israel can determine for itself "what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else."

[tabatha]

14. I think this is all pyscho pressure -

notice that today the Iranian clerics have declared the election illegal.

[BlueMTexpat]

17. Biden has an unfortunate habit of inserting his foot in his mouth.

I have to hope that this is just another example of that rather than something more ominous. While it is absolutely true that Israel is a sovereign nation, we do indeed "dictate" to other nations by pushing for international sanctions against them or imposing sanctions unilaterally. While it is true that those actions do not always achieve the desired results, occasionally they do. Think Libya, for example.

The US could shut off the $$$ and sweetheart arms deals with Israel, quit forgiving the no-interest loans, and pay more attention to how illegal settlements are being financed. It is wrong that so much of our national foreign policy is held hostage to Israel's hawks. Our policymakers turn a deaf ear to other voices there who are not only more knowledgeable but whose motives are not as suspect.

It is only in the wet dream fantasies of RW neocons that Iran, detestable as its policies and leaders may be, is a real danger to anyone other than its own population. Perhaps some day it will be. But that day is far from now.

[Zhade]

32. "cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do." Tell it to Iraq.

NT!

[sarcasmo]

44. It all makes me ill.

[pjt7]

11. If Israel shows agression against Soverign

Iran, you will see Jewish terrorist attacks throughout the World & even in the US.

Israel needs to grow up & act like a responsible Nation. I guess it's kind of tough when you're only 50 years old.

[Jim Sagle]

15. "Jewish terrorist attacks"? Antisemitic rubbish.

List all the "Jewish terrorist attacks" that ever occurred in the US.

[Flaneur]

16. I'm guessing the poster was trying to say "terrorist attacks against Jews."

But good to know the ADL is on the case.

[Jim Sagle]

21. I'm not ADL but Im on the case. BTW, the ADL RRRRRAWWWWWWXXXX!!!!!!!!

[pjt7]

19. Jim Saggle

I meant attack against jewish people/centers in the US

I sincerely don't wish this on them, but it will be a reality, if Israel attacks first.

[Jim Sagle]

22. Thanks for the heads up. I know you meant it in the most constructive way.

[cali]

40. I doubt it. In other places, sure. but no, I doubt you'll see much in the increase

in anti-semitic attacks in the U.S.

[peacetalksforall]

29. The writer said 'you will see', the writer did not say 'you have seen'.

It is wrong to call everyone who criticizes Israel an anti-semite.

[Douglas Carpenter]

12. I don't believe it for a second!! 'First of all, in spite of some mutual fear and loathing

Saudi Arabia and Iran have fairly good diplomatic and commercial relations. There are respective embassies and consulates for each others countries in the capitals and major cities of Iran and Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Iranian produce fills the supermarkets of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. There are numerous flights several times a day to and from a number of Saudi and other Gulf state cities and Iran. There are numerous joint commercial and business adventures between Saudi Arabia and Iran and the other Gulf states. There are large numbers of Saudi and other Gulf Arabs living, traveling and working in Iran as well as large numbers of Iranians living, traveling and working in Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states.

Perhaps more importantly, the Israeli military simply does not have enough long range bombers capable of flying approximately one thousand miles and successfully attacking Iran's massive array of North Korean style deep earth, heavily fortified bunkers. Short of a total nuclear war there simply is no way of significantly downgrading Iran's massive array of heavily fortified deep earth tunnels where any command structure or materials for any sort of nuclear program would certainly be located.

Of course, if Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states were to cooperate in an attack on Iran, this would invite a massive retaliation from Iran. With Iran's massive array of short and medium range missiles, heavily embedded into hostile terrain Iran could attack the desalinization plants in the Gulf states thus causing quite a catastrophe in the heart of the production center of the most essential ingredient in the world's industrial economy. This is something they are quite capable of if they chose to do so. And they would have nothing to lose. Their missiles may not be the latest high-tech variety. But they have lots and lots of them deeply embedded in unapproachable terrain. And its only a couple of hundred miles across the Gulf. There would be little ability to defend against such an attack.

Of course Iran could attack the oil refiners and oil tankers which I suspect they could do quite effectively. Obviously Iran both could and would completely choke off the movement of oil through the Straits of Hormuz, drawing 40% of the world's oil supply to a mere trickle. Although the Gulf states would prefer to stay out of it -- if the U.S. was to push the issue I suspect they would pressure the Gulf states into cooperation at least in terms of air space and at least some use of facilities. This would give Iran every reason to retaliate against the Eastern Arabian Peninsula Gulf states. This is a fight to the death for the survival of their state.

The destruction of much of the core of the world's production center for oil and the breaking of the transport mechanism for oil would likely trigger a worldwide oil crisis and send oil prices into the stratosphere thus making the current global economic collapse insolvable for decades to come. The whole world would be in massive depression when an oil crisis is combined with an already existing economic collapse - triggering even more panic - causing poverty that the Western World has not seen since World War II and the great depression.

[BlueMTexpat]

18. Consider the source ... nt

[madrchsod]

13. wow..... what a load of bullshit.

[peacetalksforall]

31. Are you referring to the UK news article? If yes, why is it bs?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

20. the dudes hanging out in Monte Carlo might be cool with it

i'm guessing the man on the street in Riyadh might not be...

[Subdivisions]

23. Saudis give nod to Israeli raid on Iran

Source: Times Online

The head of Mossad, Israel’s overseas intelligence service, has assured Benjamin Netanyahu, its prime minister, that Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Iran’s nuclear sites.

Earlier this year Meir Dagan, Mossad’s director since 2002, held secret talks with Saudi officials to discuss the possibility.

The Israeli press has already carried unconfirmed reports that high-ranking officials, including Ehud Olmert, the former prime minister, held meetings with Saudi colleagues. The reports were denied by Saudi officials.

“The Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israeli air force flying through their airspace on a mission which is supposed to be in the common interests of both Israel and Saudi Arabia,” a diplomatic source said last week.


Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east...

---

Saudi Arabia to Israel: "Sure, Israel, you may cross out airspace in order to attack Iran."

Saudi Arabia to self: "And we will profit handsomely from your destruction and seizure of Iran's oil infrastructure because our reducing production has failed to do the trick."



Another move on the grand chessboard.

[rockymountaindem]

24. Alternatively, this move combined with the Egyptians quietly letting Israel move a sub to Eilat

indicates that absolutely nobody in that region wants to see Iran with nuclear weapons. That is, of course, assuming the Mossad is right on this score.

[Pharaoh]

25. But can they fly over Iraq?

Which we control?

[Canuckistanian]

38. Jordan may not allow a fly-over

Therefore, the only way is over Saudi Arabia.

[Pharaoh]

42. can't imagine Jordan

could do anything about it.

[Tesha]

26. In the common interests...

> “The Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israeli air force flying through their airspace on a mission
> which is supposed to be in the common interests of both Israel and Saudi Arabia,” a diplomatic
> source said last week.

Ahh. The initiation of World War III and possibly the Apocalypse.
Yes, I can see how this would be in the mutual interest of both
of these packs of religious fanatics.

Tesha

[peacetalksforall]

27. So, here's the count:

Israel IN
U. S. IN based on news from VP Biden's mouth.
SArabia IN

Who's next - I place my wager on the U.K. They're always in with the U.S. and Israel.

Think about all the people in those three countries - there is NO PEACE MAKER in their leadership? As of this day?

I've not had news hit me this badly.

I plea, pray, and condemn on behalf of the good people of Iran.

This is the end of the world the way we've known it. The devastation and destruction will be a horrible disaster.

It means we have surpassed Nazi Germany in vileness. They planned and it looks like we've planned. And it looks like this will be the topic of discussion in Russia.

At the oil trough. As if Iran can be conquered.

How can people kill and steal in this manner? That oil and gas belongs to the people - only.

[tomm2thumbs]

28. chess is right - and we are the pawns

[Swede Atlanta]

33. Not out of the realm of possibility.......

The House of Saud that holds the Saudi monarchy are Sunni muslims. Iran is a Shiite theocracy. Saudi Arabia has no interest in having a strong Shiite nation in its neighborhood, especially one with nuclear weapons.

[roamer65]

35. This will be the start of World War III...

if the Saudis allow Israeli planes to go south to Eilat then across the kingdom to Iran. I can't believe King Abdullah would make such a mistake. The House of Saud would fall with all of the riots in response to such an action.

[DavidDvorkin]

36. On DU, at any rate.

[Hippo_Tron]

43. I doubt the House of Saud will fall because they let Israel bomb the Persians

If they let them bomb another Arab state then they might face some internal uprising. And retaliation from Iran is not amongst their major concerns because they know the US will defend them at all costs.

King Abdullah is making a good strategic move for Saudi Arabia. But unfortunately it's a bad move for world peace.

[Prometheus Bound]

37. The New York Times and AP have a really intelligent headline on this topic.

Iran Ready to Israel Attack on Nuclear Facilities
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 6, 2009

Filed at 12:39 a.m. ET

TOKYO (AP) -- Iran is ready to take ''real and decisive'' action if Israel attacks its nuclear facilities, a senior Iranian parliamentary official said Monday.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/07/06/world/AP-AS-...

[crikkett]

39. Jiminy Cricket, what the hell???

I did not authorize this stupidity.

:pout:

[raebrek]

45. Only one thing troubles me about this

I have to think that Israel would need to tank those planes on the way over to Iran and on the way back while they are crossing Saudi Arabia.

Raebrek!!!