READY TO DEFEND ISRAEL TO THE LAST AMERICAN

 

 

Bush 'peace' trip
a cover for war preparation

 

 

Israel to brief George Bush on options for Iran strike
The Sunday Times, London January 6, 2008

By UZI MAHNAIMI

TEL AVIV — Israeli security officials are to brief President
George W. Bush on their latest intelligence about Iran’s nuclear
program — and how it could be destroyed - when he begins
a tour of the Middle East in Jerusalem this week.

Ehud Barak, the defense minister, is said to want to convince
him that an Israeli military strike against uranium enrichment
facilities in Iran would be feasible if diplomatic efforts failed to
halt nuclear operations. A range of military options has been
prepared.

Last month it was revealed that the US National Intelligence
Estimate report, drawing together information from 16 agencies,
had concluded that Iran stopped a secret nuclear weapon
program in 2003.

Israeli intelligence is understood to agree that the project was
halted around the time of America’s invasion of Iraq, but has
“rock solid” information that it has since started up again.

While security officials are reluctant to reveal all their intelligence,
fearing that leaks could jeopardize the element of surprise in any
future attack, they are expected to present the president with
fresh details of Iran’s enrichment of uranium Israel to brief George
Bush on options for Iran strike which could be used for civil or
military purposes — and the development of missiles that could
carry nuclear warheads.

 

BORN-AGAIN BUSH: Anxious to start the battle of Armageddon

In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot this
weekend, Bush argued that in spite of the US intelligence
assessment, Iran still posed a threat.

“I read the intelligence report carefully,” Bush said. “In essence,
what the report said was that Iran had a secret plan to develop
nuclear weapons.

“I’m saying that a state which adopted a nontransparent policy
and had a secret plan for developing nuclear weapons could easily
develop an alternative plan for the same purpose. So to conclude
from the intelligence report that there is no Iranian plan to develop
nuclear weapons will be only a partial truth.”

Israeli security officials believe the only way to prevent uranium
enrichment to military grade is to destroy Iranian installations.
Many Israelis are eager to know whether America would give their
country the green light to attack, as it did last September when
Israel struck a mysterious nuclear site in Syria.

Bush refused to be drawn when asked whether he would support
an Israeli attack. “My message to all countries in the region is that
we are able to solve the problem in a diplomatic way,” he said,
“but all options are on the table.”