The Independent reports: Almost the entire senior hierarchy of Israel’s military and security establishment is worried about a premature attack on Iran and apprehensive about the possible repercussions, a former chief of the country’s defence forces told The Independent yesterday.
Lt-Gen Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, who is close to Defence Minister Ehud Barak, said there had been little analysis of what happens the “day after” when the Tehran regime and its paramilitary allies retaliate. He warned that an assault may lead to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad benefiting from popular anger against foreign aggression.
General Lipkin-Shahak stressed that Iran with a nuclear arsenal would be a hugely destabilising factor in the region. But, he said: “It is quite clear that much if not all of the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] leadership do not support military action at this point.”
The risks of military action underlined by the highly decorated former commander show the apparent divisions within the establishment over the best way to combat Iran’s nuclear programme. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Mr Barak are reported to be veering towards military action while fellow ministers as well as the defence and intelligence communities have reservations about this path.
This is what happens when politicians lead with their dicks instead of their brains. It looks as if this crisis may end with a climbdown rather than World War III — at least, one can hope. Zip it up, boys!
And, it seems, our generals too have had enough of being Israel’s attack dog in Mideast as neocons demanded:
http://www.juancole.com/2012/02/the-generals-try-to-stop-an-iran-war.html
It is of course encouraging to hear the demurrals of ex-intelligence chiefs and now a serving general, but there are so many motors driving the war faction in Israel and Washington that a large-scale attack on Iran has become almost inevitable. Methods very similar to those used in the buildup to the invasion of Iraq are being employed through corporate media to condition the public to accept, if not support, the next neo-con objective.
Here’s an interesting discussion between Paul Jay and Max Blumenthal on the convergence of forces pushing for war. Netanyahu may calculate that a Spring war with Iran will put Obama at a disadvantage vis-a-vis the Republican candidate, resulting in a new, more hawkish administration in Washington. http://www.therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=7868