In 1991, Israel promised to not retaliate against Iraq after Saddam launched SCUDS at Israel. Will Ariel Sharon, the hardest of hardliners be able to show the same restraint? Will he make a deal with the US?

I hope not. let them attack. Iraq does not want to mess with Israel.

Interesting ..

"[Sharon] also issued his clearest warning yet that Israel would strike back if attacked by Iraqi chemical or biological weapons, no matter how much Washington sought to keep its controversial Middle Eastern ally out of any war in Iraq.

He made clear that western Iraq would be one of the first areas targeted by the US in any invasion, saying that lessons had been learnt from strategic mistakes of the 1991 Gulf War when Iraq successfully fired 39 Scud missiles into Israel.
"

http://www.iran-press-service.com/articles..._iraq_51102.htm

"The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, says he will ignore American objections and respond with force against Iraq if any Israeli civilians are killed or weapons of mass destruction are used against the Jewish state during another Gulf war.

In an interview with the Jerusalem Post yesterday, Mr Sharon disagreed with the US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, who had told Congress that if Israel was attacked during a US-led assault on Iraq, then it should not respond.

"If Iraq attacks Israel but does not hit population centres or cause casualties, our interest will be to not make it hard on them," he said. "If, on the other hand, Israel is harmed, if we suffer casualties, or if non-conventional weapons of mass destruction are used against us, then definitely Israel will take the proper actions to defend its citizens." He did not say what kind of response might follow."

...

"Israeli citizens cannot be exposed to harm without Israel acting to defend its citizens," he said. "I believe that this point is clear in Washington."



http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2...,800642,00.html

I do not see how washington can get in the way f this one. If iraq messes with israel, they will retaliate, i think it isnt an issue.

Israel has shown that "defending it's citizens" involves alot of bloodshed on the other side, and I don't pass judgement either way on the effectiveness or desirability for this. It does establish the type of action that those political words seem to turn into.

However, if a retaliatory strike happens outside of isreal, and civilians are killed, it will make it MANY times harder for the US to come out looking good in the eyes of the arab world.

There is some hope that this time around they will do what they did last time - stay out of it. Protect their borders, man the patriot missle banks, and minimize the effects - in all ways.

Alex

Really? You think Sharon can be bought or ... ?

I say if Iraq launches a strike, Israel has every right to retaliate. If I were an Israeli citizen I would want my government to retaliate in the same way that if a country launched a missile at the US I would want the US to retaliate.

It all depends on what kind of attacks. If it was like last time, Israel will hold out. ( they are after all getting billions of $$ in aid from US yearly).

If a lot of Israelis citizens are killed, or if Iraq uses chemical - biological weapons, then all bets are off. I just hope the Prime Minister at the time gives the US a heads up to get their people out of whatever region they are going to nuke. Because it will happen.

no it won't...Israel's nuclear resources are VERY limited,
they won't use it, unless the survival of the State of Israel is at stake

I pretty much agree with Serge ... I would be very suprised if an Israeli response was as extreme as nuclear. It is also election day today, so some of that could have been "preaching to the choir" for domestic consumption.

Serge I think if attacked with biological or chemical weapons, and they lose hundreds of people, Israel would have to use one of their nuclear weapons on Iraq. In essence it would be in protecting homeland because it would send out a message that Israel will not be attacked on a major scale. They would have to respond.

I just hope it does not come down to that.

I agree with Serge. Word-for-word.

Mike,
the most powerful effect in nuc's is..
DETERENT factor.

Kinds har to deter anybody when you only have ONE nuclear weapon...and this si ALL what Israel has...allegedly,
based upon a story later told in a book how Israelies stole enriched uranium from France.

They might have NONE for all I know.

I don't think anybody seen it and told first witness acount about it's existyence, but as far as deterent factor...
they make world believe they got it.

Serge the reading I have done on the subject has Israel with 2-3 built bombs, and the componets to build 2-3 more.

Obviously with only 1 bomb that would change things up.

But deterance is important and key part of having nukes, BUT if you do not use it when someone crosses that line, the deterance is gone. Especially if you have multible weapons.

Infact if they are attacked with checmical weapons and do not use nukes, it may lead other countries in middle east to beleive Israel has NO nukes, but only bluffing - then it could get even uglier.

Hrmm...why are we always discussing politics? I have sworn to myself not to mix business and politics. But this is oh so tempting...I have an opinion, probably an unpopular one.

I'm staying away from this topic. And there is nothing you can do to lure me into your trap :rolleyes:

Mike, I certainly see what you are saying, and in the absence of U.S. led armies about to crush Saddam they would have every right to respond in whatever means they considered appropriate.

Under these circumstances, however - Saddam attacking Israel because we attack him - they would play into his hands by going nuclear. Their response could turn this thing into a far uglier mess than it already is. I don't think there is a country in the region that has a doubt that Israel has nuclear capabilities, nor do I think anyone would regard their decision not to use them under these circumstances as weakness.



Last edited by PornoDoggy at Jan 28 2003, 01:51 PM

Mike, last time I checked, Israel wasn't on UN list of nations with Nuclear Weapons,
there is no any proof that they have nucs in the first place.

I beleive we are speculating in the vein of
"How many devils can dance on the eye of a needle"?

Let's hope it will never come to that point,
as I see the use of nucs, chemicals, biological weapons as a point of no return for the human civilization,
it's always easier to let the geanie out of the bottle than to put it back

Even without nuc's Isreal's military is pretty damn tough.

It will be interesting to see what happens.. Isreal has always had difficult conflicts with their neighbors..

I wonder if there will ever be peace in that region..

"Kinds har to deter anybody when you only have ONE nuclear weapon...and this si ALL what Israel has...allegedly,
based upon a story later told in a book how Israelies stole enriched uranium from France."

I guess no one remembers the six-day war and how it was ended...

Kissinger got Isreal to stop by giving them a fast-breeder reactor. That makes plutonium, if I remember correctly.

Indeed, if Iraq uses weapons of mass destruction, Sharon will rain hellfire on iraq. He is not the type to mess around.

no it won't...Israel's nuclear resources are VERY limited,
they won't use it, unless the survival of the State of Israel is at stake[/b][/quote]
That's right, they don't have a vast quantity of nukes. (Do they admit to having any? I don't think they admit having any at all. I could be wrong)

That's why if Iraq uses any weapons of mass destruction on ANYONE WHATSOEVER including Isreal the US will make Iraq a glass factory.

Even without nuc's Isreal's military is pretty damn tough.

It will be interesting to see what happens.. Isreal has always had difficult conflicts with their neighbors..

I wonder if there will ever be peace in that region..[/b][/quote]
DUH!!!



Last edited by DAMNMAN at Jan 28 2003, 10:36 PM

Israel has no conflicts with anybody, it's the fucking ignorant Arabs who have always had the conflict with Israel. The only people who have a half legitimate beef with Israel are the Palestinian dirtbags and if it weren't for their leader consistently calling for the annihilation of Israel the Israelis would have settled with them long ago.

I've always heard that Israel has some nukes but Serge is right, i've never seen it coaburated anywhere.

Scary times, we didn't start this fire but the United States will be the one to put it out. I just wish more people were onside, Iraq is a hellhole, i don't want to see innocent Iraquis killed, but if Bush can find the smoking gun i'm all for the war. And that is Bush's job, he promised the world that, that he could prove Hussein was building weapons of mass destruction. If all the intelligence power the United States has can't deliver any evidence then i dunno..............looks bad on Bush. It's almost like a cartoon between Hussein and the U.S. I gotta think he's got some of the shit going on that Bush says he does but .................. he better show the world because if this is more about oil and avenging a father's failure it is not worth risking the lives of American soldier and endangering the entire world.