Israel Seriously Considering Iran Military Op

[Purveyor]

Source: Jerusalem Post

Israel is seriously considering taking unilateral military action to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, according to a report by top US political figures and experts released Wednesday.

The report also says Israel's time frame for action is growing shorter, not only because of Iranian advances, but because Teheran might soon acquire upgraded air defenses and disperse its nuclear program to additional locations.

The report, "Preventing a Cascade of Instability," was put out by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP). It also argues that international sanctions against Iran need to be intensified urgently for the engagement the Obama administration is planning with Teheran to be effective.

An early draft of the report was endorsed by Dennis Ross before he withdrew upon joining the Obama administration, in which he is serving as a special adviser dealing with various countries in the region, including Iran. Senator Evan Bayh of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Congressman Gary Ackerman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Middle East, were among the signatories.

Read more: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1236103158937&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[onenote]

1. how many times has the JPost announced an attack on Iran is imminent?

I've lost count.

Here's a couple:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1220186494776&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
http://www.silverbearcafe.com/private/6.08/attack.html
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Paper_Bush_intends_to_attack_Iran_0520.html


Eventually, they'll probably be right, but at this point, they aren't the most credible source.

[TomClash]

5. Maybe JPost should raise its own army

Billy Kristol, David Brooks, Richard Cohen, Charles Krauthammer and other sordid neo-cons could all join up to lend a hand.

[bemildred]

2. New Iran report reeks of stale ideas

United States President Barack Obama may be puzzled as to how to initiate dialogue with Iran, but there are a wealth of pro-Israel pundits advising him in Washington who are crystal clear on the method, purpose and goals of such an approach. These advisors are now attempting to win Obama's approval over certain competing perspectives.

This much is clear from a report by a new "bipartisan" group tailored to assist the Obama administration's formation of a new Iran policy. The new paper fails to present any fresh or innovative ideas with respect to Iran's nuclear standoff, a shortfall that inevitably casts further doubts on one of its signatories, Dennis Ross, who is Washington's point man on Iran.

Although it was not commissioned by the past or present White House, the report, titled "Preventing a cascade of instability: US engagement to check Iranian nuclear progress," carries a badge of legitimacy under the "Presidential Task Force". It is, in fact, the work of a pro-Israel think-tank, the Washington Institute For Near East Policy, that operates as an important arm of the Jewish lobby in Washington. <1>

Thick on familiar accusations against Iran and rather thin on the much-needed specifics of a new US policy toward a Middle East country that has stood up to US hegemony for the past 30 years, the report's main value is in showing the hands of vested interests that actually seek to obviate Obama's search for new ways to deal with Iran. The report simply rehashes the main patterns of previous policies.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/KC06Aa01.html

[EFerrari]

3. The reports on Clinton's visit to the ME were pretty negative

in the region, which is disappointing.

[Hardrada]

4. Not surprising!