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US
Officials Worried Israel will Attack Iran before Year's End
 A senior Western diplomat said
Tuesday that he did not think Israel would feel the need to attack Iran
before year's end. Earlier, senior US defense officials reportedly
voiced concern that Israel would target the Islamic Republic's nuclear
installations before the end of 2008. The Western official said that
the US was not taking the military option off the table, but stressed
the need for economic and diplomatic sanctions, and getting the
Europeans to implement further sanctions.
He said he expected France to take a more active role on the issue after assuming EU presidency.
The official also said there is a six to 12 month discrepancy between
when Israel and the US believe Iran will reach the point of no return,
and that Israel believes the date will be sooner rather than later.
The US defense officials were quoted by an ABC News report as saying
that they were concerned that Israel may attack Iran's nuclear
facilities before the end of the year, and that such a move may prompt
a wave of Iranian retaliatory attacks against both Israeli and US
targets.
According to an unnamed Pentagon official quoted by the broadcaster,
there is an "increasing likelihood" of such an attack as Iran
approaches two "red lines" in Israel's view: The first is the point
when Iran produces enough highly enriched uranium to develop a nuclear
weapon - something that could happen in 2009 and perhaps even by the
end of 2008, according to US and Israeli assessments.
"The red line," the official said, "is not when they get to that point,
but before they get to that point. We are in the window of
vulnerability."
The second red line is Iran's acquisition of the SA-20 air defense
system from Russia. The system would make an Israeli strike much more
difficult, and if an offensive is being planned, it is likely to take
place before that time, according to ABC.
Again quoting a senior Pentagon official, ABC reported that the
large-scale IAF exercise conducted in early June was "not a rehearsal,
but basic, fundamental training" for an attack on Iran.
"The Israeli air force has already conducted the basic exercise
necessary to tell their senior leadership, 'We have the fundamentals
down,'" the official said. "Might they need some more training and
rehearsals? Yes. But have they done the fundamentals? I think that is
what we saw."
He added that additional drills were to be expected as a possible operation nears.
The TV station's report added that Pentagon officials believe an
Israeli attack could not destroy Iran's nuclear program, and would only
do temporary damage.
Source: Jerusalem Post
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