Saudis Clear Israel to Bomb Iran?
Tensions build in the Middle East. This will be an huge test for the Obama Administration.
From msnbc
Saudi Arabia will allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran's nuclear facilities, the London Times reported on Saturday.
Quoting unnamed U.S. defense sources, the newspaper said Riyadh conducted tests to be sure its own jets would not be scrambled and missile defenses not be activated so Israeli bombers could pass by without problems.
The path would shorten Israel's bomb run, The Times said.
Once the Israelis go through, the kingdom’s air defenses would return to full alert, the newspaper said.
"The Saudis have given their permission for the Israelis to pass over and they will look the other way," said a U.S. defense source in the Persian Gulf area told the Times. "They have already done tests to make sure their own jets aren’t scrambled and no one gets shot down. This has all been done with the agreement of the [US] State Department."
Sources in Saudi Arabia said it is common knowledge within kingdom defense circles that an arrangement is in place if Israel decides to launch the raid, the Times said. Despite the tension between the two governments, they share a mutual loathing of the regime in Tehran and a common fear of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
"We all know this. We will let them [the Israelis] through and see nothing," a Saudi source told the Times.
The newspaper pinpointed four main targets: The uranium enrichment facilities at Natanz and Qom, the gas storage development at Isfahan and the heavy-water reactor at Arak. Secondary targets include the Russian-built lightwater reactor at Bushehr, which could produce weapons-grade plutonium when complete, the Times said.
The targets lie as far as 1,400 miles from Israel, the paper said, noting that distance is the outer limits of the Jewish state's bombers' range even with aerial refueling. An open corridor across northern Saudi Arabia would significantly shorten the distance. An airstrike would involve multiple waves of bombers, possibly crossing Jordan, northern Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Aircraft attacking Bushehr, on the Gulf coast, could swing beneath Kuwait to strike from the southwest, the newspaper said.
Passing over Iraq would require Washington's consent. The Obama administration has refused to give its approval as it pursues a diplomatic solution to curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Times said.
From msnbc
Saudi Arabia will allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran's nuclear facilities, the London Times reported on Saturday.
Quoting unnamed U.S. defense sources, the newspaper said Riyadh conducted tests to be sure its own jets would not be scrambled and missile defenses not be activated so Israeli bombers could pass by without problems.
The path would shorten Israel's bomb run, The Times said.
Once the Israelis go through, the kingdom’s air defenses would return to full alert, the newspaper said.
"The Saudis have given their permission for the Israelis to pass over and they will look the other way," said a U.S. defense source in the Persian Gulf area told the Times. "They have already done tests to make sure their own jets aren’t scrambled and no one gets shot down. This has all been done with the agreement of the [US] State Department."
Sources in Saudi Arabia said it is common knowledge within kingdom defense circles that an arrangement is in place if Israel decides to launch the raid, the Times said. Despite the tension between the two governments, they share a mutual loathing of the regime in Tehran and a common fear of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
"We all know this. We will let them [the Israelis] through and see nothing," a Saudi source told the Times.
The newspaper pinpointed four main targets: The uranium enrichment facilities at Natanz and Qom, the gas storage development at Isfahan and the heavy-water reactor at Arak. Secondary targets include the Russian-built lightwater reactor at Bushehr, which could produce weapons-grade plutonium when complete, the Times said.
The targets lie as far as 1,400 miles from Israel, the paper said, noting that distance is the outer limits of the Jewish state's bombers' range even with aerial refueling. An open corridor across northern Saudi Arabia would significantly shorten the distance. An airstrike would involve multiple waves of bombers, possibly crossing Jordan, northern Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Aircraft attacking Bushehr, on the Gulf coast, could swing beneath Kuwait to strike from the southwest, the newspaper said.
Passing over Iraq would require Washington's consent. The Obama administration has refused to give its approval as it pursues a diplomatic solution to curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Times said.
posted by Trevor Loudon at
6/14/2010 07:27:00 AM
4 Comments:
This is unsurprising on two fronts. Unsurprising that the Saudis would allow the shortcut and unsurprising that Obama would block the Iraqi corridor.
For all that Islam hates the Jews, it is then VERY surprising that the man Obama, a great Muslim sympathizer, who abased himself before King Abdullah, would not also follow suit?
The Dixie Chicks caught all kinds of hell for being embarrassed about George Bush being born in Texas, but I'm not famous and neither is it clear that Obama was even born in America... So I have no qualms about apologizing to you and the rest of the world for the embarrassment that is our 44th president.
So. Let me get this straight.
The Saudis -- most responsible for 9/11 -- is cooperating with one of our staunchest allies, Israel -- but the President of the United States REFUSES to give
approval.
The leader of Iran is the scariest man on the face of the planet -- and he's close to having the warheads to decimate earth -- and this guy who seems all for disarming and getting RID of nukes -- is refusing to cooperate with those who are willing to take all the risk and the cost and deal with the aftermath ---
And Iran is sending more "aid" to Gaza.
Isn't there some way we can impeach this President and fire all our elected Representatives?
This article has been denied by both Saudi and Israeli sources. Please see http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/saudi-arabia-we-will-not-give-israel-air-corridor-for-iran-strike-1.295672
and http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-denies-seeking-air-corridor-for-iran-attack-1.213887
Of course, I guess you could also say denial is the first step of a cover-up. Personally, I wish it were true. I stand behind Israel protecting itself, especially since our current administration, in its utter stupidity, has decided to abandon its support of our only true ally in the middle east.
and when it happens, guaranteed this administration condemns the attacks and further alienates our one true ally in the region.
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