Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Israeli general believes strike against Iran could succeed
IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz spoke to an audience at Tel Aviv University yesterday about Israel's security matters. Toward the end of the article there is this interesting tidbit:
Presumably, "operationally speaking" means that we have the capacity, without using nuclear weapons ourselves, to destroy Iran's program. Gen. Halutz is obviously suggesting that we may lack the political will.
Of course, we do not even have the operational capacity to destroy Iran's program if we do not know where it is. Is Halutz suggesting that we have the necessary intelligence to permit a successful military operation? Or perhaps he means the opposite -- that we could destroy it "operationally" if we could find it.
DEBKA (I can't believe I'm citing them twice in one day, or even twice in a month) reports a tad more from the same conference:
That goes a bit further than the linked Jerusalem Post story, which missed that tidbit and said only that the general "deflected" questions about Iran. The DEBKA note brings to mind this story of three weeks ago.
One audience member asked if the US or NATO could destroy Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program.
"Yes, operationally speaking," he said without elaboration.
As to whether Israel could detect, and presumably shoot down, an incoming Iranian missile, he responded, "That will be answered at the next conference."
Presumably, "operationally speaking" means that we have the capacity, without using nuclear weapons ourselves, to destroy Iran's program. Gen. Halutz is obviously suggesting that we may lack the political will.
Of course, we do not even have the operational capacity to destroy Iran's program if we do not know where it is. Is Halutz suggesting that we have the necessary intelligence to permit a successful military operation? Or perhaps he means the opposite -- that we could destroy it "operationally" if we could find it.
DEBKA (I can't believe I'm citing them twice in one day, or even twice in a month) reports a tad more from the same conference:
Israel’s chief of staff Lt.-Gen Dan Halutz says there is a way to derail Iran’s nuclear production, but refused to explain.
That goes a bit further than the linked Jerusalem Post story, which missed that tidbit and said only that the general "deflected" questions about Iran. The DEBKA note brings to mind this story of three weeks ago.
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