Developing

Discover Yahoo! With Your Friends

Explore news, videos, and much more based on what your friends are reading and watching. Publish your own activity and retain full control.

To get started, first

YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    'Time Running Out' For Military Strike On Iran

    Israeli officials say no decision has been made on military action against Iran's nuclear programme, despite reports that the window for a pre-emptive strike is closing.

    A government source told Sky News "all options remain on the table" but refused to comment on growing media speculation that a strike would take place by the summer of 2012.

    Israel's defence minister Ehud Barak has warned that "time is urgently running out" to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

    He said the Iranians are "deliberately drifting into what we call an immunity zone where practically no surgical operation could stop them."

    Mr Barak was referring to Iran's efforts to move critical elements of its nuclear programme - including uranium enrichment - deep underground.

    Iran's main enrichment site at Fordo, near Qom, is beneath 90 metres of rock, perhaps beyond the reach of even the huge bunker-busting bombs Israel is known to possess in its arsenal.

    Tehran claims it is developing nuclear technology for civilian purposes but the latest report from the UN's nuclear watchdog said Iran was carrying out work that could only be related to the future development of a nuclear weapon.

    Unnamed Israeli defence officials quoted by the Associated Press said even a strike right now would probably only delay Iran's nuclear ambitions by two or three years rather than halt them altogether.

    Another consideration is the reaction to such a strike.

    Iran is likely to retaliate directly - firing missiles towards Israel - and through its regional allies.

    The Iranian-sponsored Lebanese militia Hizbollah could fire a hail of rockets into Israel, Hamas could also step up rocket fire from Gaza.

    The risk of regional conflagration is being weighed by Israel against the dangers of a nuclear Iran.

    Publicly, the Israeli government still favours diplomacy and sanctions to bring Iran into line.

    That could also be the position privately, with all of the sabre rattling part of the necessary pressure to bring the international community together to act.

    There is also awareness that Israel will need a green light and military back-up from Washington and President Obama would probably prefer to wait until after the US election in November.

    The bottom line, according to most analysts, is that Israel is never going to lay out a timetable for action.

    It needs to keep the threat of it ever present but when - and if - a military strike comes, Tehran will not get notice first.

     

    31 comments

    • Aine  •  3 months ago
      Israel's sanctimonious claims to have "biblical and historical ties" to the Middle East counts for nothing. Israel is consistently manoeuvring itself into position whereby it wishes to be considered part of Europe with all the rights and advantages of a European nation. Israel even takes part in the stupid European Song Contest, for God's sake!!! That's how far removed from reality this incongruous state is. No, the people who feel genuine ties to the Middle East are the Palestinian People who have been there generation after generation unlike the millions of European immigrants who have been recruited from abroad to swell the ranks of colonial Israel. It stands to reason, the Palestinian people are the people who feel a close affinity with the region as well as the minorities who have always lived there. The rest are merely mercenaries.
    • Odininasgaard  •  3 months ago
      Gavin.Marseille:France

      You are an aspirant comedian, your joke that the israelites have been in Palestine for 6,000 years is really very funny!

      I laughed so much I have to ask you if you have any other great comic routines in your repitoire when you perform?

      There are clay tablets in cuniform from the year 1,000 B.C. from the Cananite king requesting archers from the Egyptian Ruler (who at the time ruled over Palestine) as his city that was to be named Jerusalem at a later time when the Bedouin tribes that were to evolve into the Israelites attacked the civilized races they found in Palestine!

      I suggest you read the research of Professor Shlomo Sand attached to the Uni of Tel Aviv, yes he is Jewish!

      He published a research paper entitled: When and How were the Jewish people invented?

      His research confirms that the Jews of the Bible were descended from the Bedouin Tribesman Abraham from the district of Ur, east of Baghdad so he was not European but lived much as Bedouin do to this day moving his flocks from watering hole to watering hole!

      The greatest propaganda book ever written to promote Jewish racial superiority, the Bible tells one of Abraham's nomadic lifestyle!

      Professor Shlomo recognises that eventually the Bedouin tribes gradually settled around Palestine and evolved into the Jews!

      Just do a web search for Professor Shlomo Sand or (Zand) and you will be able to read all about it for yourself!
      • ZIONIST 3 months ago
        Not 'More'
      • BardnaDoire 3 months ago
        Judea is a post-Exodus entity derived from the name of one of Jacob's sons.
        "More than 5000 years ago, the people of Mesopotamia invented writing" Maps of that era identify Susa (Persian Empire or Iran to you) as the cradle of civilisation, Palestine is clearly marked - no Israel.
        Abraham, Joseph and Moses are clearly identified as nomads by their way of life.
        The worst about all you pro-new nazi types is your eclectic ignorance.
      • Sola 3 months ago
        Great post BardnaDoire.
    • James K  •  Dublin, Ireland  •  3 months ago
      Where is our dear Peter guy, come people search for our Peter guy, the Gavin Guy is meesing around again, come Peter we all love and need you and your wisdom.
    • sussie  •  London, England  •  3 months ago
      the UK/FRANCE/US/ISRAEL only like to attack small nations (LIBYA), IRAN would give them a hard fight and they know it and they can upset the world oil market if they wish
    • sussie  •  London, England  •  3 months ago
      the only way the US/WEST can hope to pay their debt is to steal oil and gas, IRAQ,LIBYA.............IRAN
    • Paul H  •  3 months ago
      ww111???adrastic way to cull population!!!!were the germans far sighted
    • Maurice Sutton  •  Lisbon, Portugal  •  3 months ago
      wanted for treason blair prestcot brown straw flint reid hewitt collaborators and there enforcers the price is working stubbing out blairs legacy and labours war of mass destruction imposed on liberty respect tolerance equality identity compassion democracy integrity united kingdom who gave who the right to impose persecution bullying abuse and the deaths of innocent people under their controlled democracy are traitors have no elusions they are accountable for this so this is your better united kingdom as in war you pay the price for liberty its not what we want its what thay gave in memory of anthony mcdermott who was bullied and persecuted into suicide and hanged himself and all others so this is your new healthy united kingdom to all parties protect demands liberty and movments reinstated no liberty no peace lest they forgot no compromise this is an afront to our forfathers from protect health before wealth the sun news paper Friday ,February 3,2oo6 bullied by is work mates over the smoking ban on liberty all this for the boys to come home to the hypocrisy is beyond belief what did his family give for this in 2 world wars over this social engingeering
    • HENRY VIII  •  Manchester, England  •  3 months ago
      More lies spewing out of the Israeli mouths. The west needs to remove their nuclear weapons. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander.
      • Dave 3 months ago
        why cant the Muslims remove them? its about time they got off their lazy behinds and did something rather than asking the west all the time
      • Sola 3 months ago
        Not quite as deranged as the Jewish occupational force in Palestine? why not compare what the Jews in Palestine and the Jewish government in America have done? ...Iran has done what?
      • alan h 3 months ago
        @ed A little tired of reading un-educated views on the Middle East. If you do not understand both 'sides' of the coin then think twice before posting trite comments. It's not about 'taking sides', it's about understanding history and the ludicrously complex geo-politics of the region. It doesn't take much thought to understand why the Israelis view surrounding countries with suspicion, especially ones with nuclear weapons and unstable societies. Educate yourself on it then start posting comments.
    • Chris  •  London, England  •  3 months ago
      Isreal wants a war but wants other people to fight it for them.
      • alan h 3 months ago
        Really? On what basis?
      • Andrew 3 months ago
        Well said Chris.
      • Monsigniore 3 months ago
        Well Chris there is something for the ignorant you to learn - Israel has always fought its own wars...Not to say about the arabs, especially egyptians and syrians who used russian pilots who also were screwed by the israeli air force!!
    • m0nkFiSh  •  3 months ago
      Israel. If you want Iran attacked then do it yourself instead of trying to get the big boys to do it for you. All mouth and coat tails. Boring.
      • Monsigniore 3 months ago
        They won't ask for anybody's permission I guarantee you that!!
      • Sola 3 months ago
        MOnkFiSh, The Jews in Palestine are taking the ppiss because they know the Jewish government in America will support them and the Jews in Europe also.
      • igiveup 3 months ago
        It's beginning to dawn on the average American and British man in the street that their governments are in the pockets of the Israelis, and are allowing them to get away with an apartheid regime and ethnic cleansing. That's why Israel is using Iran as a smokescreen whilst building as many illegal settlements as they can, before they are eventually forced to settle with the Palestinians.
    • BardnaDoire  •  London, England  •  3 months ago
      So no declaration of war then. In the event of such acts of aggression, it behoves the entire block of UN nations to retaliate upon Israel with the full force of its collective might.
    • Nick  •  Ware, England  •  3 months ago
      Let the Iranians build the bomb. They'll never use it and will probably bankrupt themselves in the process
    • Dave  •  Reading, England  •  3 months ago
      Israel wont attack Iran and Iran wont attack Israel. 10 years from now that wont have changed.
    • Odininasgaard  •  3 months ago
      Remember the story America concocted with Israel's help?
      It went something like this:

      Saddam has WMD and could launch an attack on the U.S, Britain, France invade all of Europe, China and establish a base on the moon, Mars and the moons of Jupiter!

      America was convinced by Israel that Saddam could at short notice launch his entire naval fleet of rowing boats, the last one of which would tow behind it in some Iraqi woman's washing tub enough imaginary Atom Bombs to attack just about any country in the world!

      All the deaths of all the military personnel of the countries invading and occupying Iraq can be laid at the door of Israel!

      Bush has stated that the invasion of Iraq was to "secure" Israel!

      Now Israel is demanding America and Britain commands more of its soldiers to die on its behalf by responding to Iran's retaliation for an attack by Israel's armed forces who will retreat safely to Israel after launching its attack on Iran!

      Very neat and diabolical manipulation by Israel whose citizens will not suffer any consequences for its unprovoked attack on Iran!

      The lying war criminal Bush promised the invading American Military a "Cake Walk" in the campgain to occupy Iraq, some cake walk it turned out to be with 4,000 plus American dead!

      How many more deaths is America's "Operation Iran" going to cost???

      To solve the issue with Iran the answer is very simple.

      America must declare independence from Israel and openly defy the Knesset's order to conduct military operations against Iran as well as cease the sanctions which in themselves are tantamount to an act of war !

      These people have built a nuclear industry for themselves under almost impossible conditions, they might be useful to have onside rather than isolated to appease Israel!

      Under prevailing conditions the question has to be asked how long can Iran continue to suffer the victimisation it has endured before being driven to retaliate?

      Has the thought occured that it could decide that it has had enough and destroy the oil fields in neighbouring Saudi and UAE?

      It could take years to repair and certainly would help to wreck any hope of a speedy economic revival for the rest of the world, possibly compounded by the Straits being closed! Any Military operation to clear the straits will take time, can the world economy absorb such an operation at this critical time of economic problems??
    • Shahid  •  3 months ago
      ''growing media speculation that a strike would take place in the summer of 2012''
      ''time running out''
      who are you working for Emma Hurd at Sky news?
      this is manipulative journalism.
    • Odininasgaard  •  3 months ago
      Once again, Israel reveals itself as a nation that is prepared to attack anyone it perceives as a potential enemy!

      This is a country of paranoid people governed by psychopaths determined to bring death and destruction to any nation they want to direct their collective paranoia to!
    • BardnaDoire  •  London, England  •  3 months ago
      No attacks apart from the assassinations and black ops kidnapping in Syria pretending to be rebels.
    • Sola  •  3 months ago
      Why are the Jewish occupational force in Palestine allowed to do and say what they like with complete impunity?
    • Odininasgaard  •  3 months ago
      Herodotus known as the father of history because of his research methodology was the same as is generally used today!

      His writings in 450 B.C. identified the area between the Med. Sea and the Jordan River as Palestine! In Roman Times the area was known as the Roman Province of Palestine Israel is not mentioned

      Palestine was a name used between 450 BC and 1948 AD for the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. The first clear use of the term Palestine to refer to the wider region as defined in modern times was in 5th century BC Ancient Greece. Cadytis was identified as Jerusalem. The UN General Assembly voted to partition the territory into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jewish leadership accepted the proposal but the Arab Higher Committee rejected it. Perhaps this is a propaganda lie by the Jews and that was the underlying reason why the Jews killed Folke Bernadotte, the Swedish UN peace mediator?

      Population in Palestine: Early figures may be unreliable and later census conducted by Jews should be accepted with caution.

      U.N. figures at the time show the Jewish population in Palestine as follows 1918: 35,000 1922: 50,000
      Even the early Prime Ministers of Israel were foreign born:

      The Jewish Immigrant Settlers in Palestine were represented from the begining of the founding of the mythical Israel by foreign born immgrant Prime Ministers:
      Ben Gurion: Born Poland
      Moshe Sharett: Born Russia
      Levi Eshkol: Born Ukraine
      Golda Meir: Born Ukraine
      Yitzak Rabin: Born Palestine from Immigrant parents, Father was an American Settler, Mother was a Russian Settler!
      Simon Peres: Born Poland
      Menacham Begin, leader of irgun who murdered 91 people by bombing the King David Hotel in 1946 Jerusalem Palestine: born Russia
      Yitzhak Shamir: Born Poland
      All were Jewish Settlers, in one case the child of Jewish settler parents, no connection to Palestine!

      Israel was created by the Jewish Settler Terrorists who ethnically cleansed their Semitic brothers the Palestinians from Palestine so the mythical Israel could be founded!

      50% of the Jews have entered Palestine the last 40 years mostly from Russia following progroms in that country which Boshiviks leadership was mostly Jewish.
      1948 1.900.000 of which 1.292.000 Palestinians and 608.000 Jews
      2006 7.000.000 of which 77 % is Jews and 18, 5 % is Palestinians and 4,3 % others, excluding Palestinians in areas nor fully occupied. The unoccupied areas excluding the illegal Jewish settlements contain 3.8 million of Palestinians and several millions are found in refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon or working in different ME countries. The demographics between 1948 and 2006 indicates that the Jewish racial cleansing was much more efficient than the half measures allegedly implemented by Reinhardt Heydrich and this is by curtsey the American political leadership and taxpayer who provided the Jewish terrorist right from the start with heavy weapons for mass destruction of human life. Suggestion that US should stop humanitarian aid to Palestine if they turn to UN for recognition is outright impudent as it is USA that have paid for these carnage and supported the Jews in their wanton destruction in the Holy Land!
    • Odininasgaard  •  3 months ago
      Heilsa Gavin:

      For your elucidaditon I present some historical items of interest for you!

      Wassail