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Iran's Threat

By Noam Chomsky at Jul 10, 2004

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The sharp increase in focus on Iran's alleged threat (nuclear weapons, connections to terror, etc.) is very clear. ... The same has been true with regard to Syria (including last December's "Syria Accountability Act" passed almost unanimously in Congress, and Bush's implementation of parts of it in May). Not reported but quite important is the dispatch to Israel of 100 F16-I's, advanced jet bombers, with the very specific announcement that they can reach Iran and return, are updated versions of the F-16s that Israel used to attack the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981 (thereby setting off Iraq's nuclear weapons program, though that part of the story, though pretty well confirmed, is avoided), and are equipped with "special weapons" (according to the Israeli Hebrew press). All of this is presumably intended for the ears of Iranian intelligence, who have to make worst case analyses. Perhaps the purpose of all of these initiatives is to evoke some action by Iran or Syria that can be interpreted by Washington-media as justification for military action, or perhaps just to rattle the leadership to contribute to internal repression, disaffection, disruption. If the Iraq invasion hadn't been such a remarkable failure, by now the US would probably have gone forward with plans to subordinate the region more fully to its interests, which would mean actions against the more independent states, Iran and Syria. This is not entirely unrelated to the "war on terror": it increases the terrorist threat, just as the invasion of Iraq did. In the case of Syria, that's been very well analyzed by Stephen Zunes.

Comment On This Blog Post  See All Comments (4)

Person

Re: Iran's Threat

By Legalmedia, Cyranoo at Jan 19, 2006 04:28 AM
Ouch, i have just googled something, I aint sure about the accuracy but there is no SMOKE without fire.. Chinese missiles redesigned by Iran Information origins look strange! This information look scary! This information seem accurate

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Person

Re: Iran's Threat

By Plthompson, Peterlee at Aug 31, 2004 05:02 AM
Continuing, the target is explicitly discussed: JP August 29, 2003 Arieh O'Sullivan "Attacks on the key nodes would delay Iranian nuclear weapons development by at least a few years," says Knights, a Mendelow defense fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Hitting the centrifuges would be more tactical than strategic since the Iranians could have them up and running again elsewhere relatively quickly. "For Israel, the most feasible target would be the Bushehr reactor [in Iran]. It is above ground and relatively vulnerable since it is a fixed location right on the coast. The air force wouldn't have to penetrate Iranian air space by much," Knight says. FYI-The total order is for 102 planes, costing US$4.5bn, the order in 2000 for 50 planes was upgraded in 2001 to add'l 52, from Lockheed Martin. Of which the US gov't is PAYING half, or US$2.2bn (if not more, I haven't seen all the details). The Israeli pilots were trained in the lovely state of Texas

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Person

Re: Iran's Threat

By Plthompson, Peterlee at Aug 31, 2004 04:37 AM
To continue, the long-range capability is explicit: JP February 15, 2004 Arieh O'Sullivan Expectations are high for the expensive jet, which promises to dramatically boost Israel's long-arm reach. "The jet will be able to fly far distances and refuel in-flight. It can fly at a very low altitude at night and not be detected. It has electronic warfare suites that know how to hide it," Maj. Yonatan told Army Radio Saturday. "It's not that large, but its quick and aggressive and smart."

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Person

By Plthompson, Peterlee at Aug 31, 2004 04:30 AM
Numerous stories beginning in 2000 in the Jerusalem Post mostly by Arieh O'Sullivan. The story began, somewhat amsuingly(if you can call it that), when Israeli Air Force held a contest to name the new F-16I. Last discussion was 7 June 2004. The contest article went: JP August 25, 2000, p. 6A (this was a wire story) Israelis flew into action to help name Israel's newest warplane, the US-made F-16I, jamming the air force Web site and fax machines with suggestions from "Peace" to "Crusher." The winner might turn out to be Shimon Peres, whose name has a convenient meaning in Hebrew. More than 5,000 suggestions came in on the first day, said Merav Halperin, editor of the bimonthly Air Force Magazine. Most suggested naming the fighter after people, including Peres, captured air force navigator Ron Arad, and ex-president and air force pioneer Ezer Weizman. Last January Israel signed a contract to buy 50 F-16s from Lockheed-Martin at a cost of $ 2.5 billion. The Fort Worth-based company calls the F-16I the "Fighting Falcon," said spokeswoman Kathryn Hayden, but the Israelis choose their own Hebrew names.....

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