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Israeli Security Experts: How to Deter an Iranian Attack

(WorldNetDaily) C. Hart - * The possibility of an Iranian missile attack against Israel is of major concern to Israel's military advisers. Israel's current policy is to let Iran know, in no uncertain terms, what Israel's retaliation will be in the event of an attack. Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, former head of the IDF's research and assessment division with special responsibility for preparing the National Intelligence Assessment, claims that Israel must make clear to the Iranians that "in building our capabilities, and by letting them know that we have these capabilities, we are very strong about the decision that if Israel will be attacked, it will be the end of Iran." * Today, global diplomacy is in the forefront of efforts by the international community to dissuade Iran from going nuclear. But Amidror is convinced that efforts on the diplomatic front are too little too late. "At this stage, the chances for success by using only political pressure are very slim. At the end of the day, the world will have to decide what is more dangerous - to attack this infrastructure of the Iranians, or to deal with an Iranian nuclear war." "Our experience with the international community is that we cannot build our security on the assumption that they will be on our side." * Uzi Rubin, a defense consultant to the IDF, was responsible for overseeing the first Arrow anti-missile system. According to Rubin, "the nuclear threat is not about the chance of one single missile that can sneak through. It's about Israel's retaliatory efforts. They [Iran] have a slight chance or no chance at all of getting through. They will get a second strike from Israel, and that's what they are concerned about." Rubin sees this as Israel's greatest deterrence policy. "Iran could not guarantee their people that they wouldn't be wiped out by retaliation. That is the deterrence." * Iran and the Arab nations have some 1,000 missiles that can hit Israel. Syria alone has 400-500 short-range missiles; the Egyptians have 200 Scuds. Iran's current missile systems are not only capable of hitting targets in Israel, but also hitting U.S. and other forces in the Persian Gulf. That's why military analysts are insisting this is not an Israeli crisis, but an international one.
2005-12-21 00:00:00
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