dagblog - Comments for "Is Israel preparing to attack Iran?"

Panetta Fights Off Questions

artappraiser — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:15:22 +0000

In reply to Is Israel preparing to attack Iran?

Panetta Fights Off Questions About a Possible Israeli Strike in Iran

February 14, 2012, 4:26 pm

By JOHN H. CUSHMAN JR.

[....] At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi, tried to pin Mr. Panetta down – but to no avail. Once again, Mr. Panetta was not confirming or denying much of anything [....]

http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/14/panetta-fights-off-questions-a...

Cross-link to Genghis'

artappraiser — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:07:32 +0000

In reply to Is Israel preparing to attack Iran?

Cross-link to Genghis' discussion post on topic where I have posted more related news.

It was tin foil hat to think

artappraiser — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:05:13 +0000

In reply to No kidding? Well, I'll be

It was tin foil hat to think the US would approve, even under Bush, and, with this story, all appearances are that it's still pretty tin foil hat to think the US approves. Mho.

Also, it is a leak meant to accomplish something, not just a transparent opinion. Part of the war of words diplomats use to avoid war. We don't know what it's meant to accomplish yet, but that's what makes it news to me, it's part of a war of words by leaders in charge of nation's policies. (It may not even be true! I do think we have to keep our minds open to that, it may be disinfo for some reason we don't understand yet.)

Back in the Bush days, I always posted Seymour Hersh's pieces filled with leakers leaks about Iran on the news site I frequented. But I learned not to take them as whole cloth truth, but to try to figure out what the leaker(s) wanted to accomplish by feeding Hersh the things they were feeding him.. I came out of that process pretty convinced that the Bush administration wasn't going to do anything about Iran except saber rattle.. Found out later that the Bush administration had some pretty serious distrust and disagreement with Israel about Iran, but they were trying to keep it hidden..

We've now seeing an administration that apparently doesn't want to hide that as much. (Apparently.) That's what's newsworthy.

Still ain't no guarantee that Israel is going to attack Iran's nuke facilities. But if they do, I think chances are high that it's not going to be Armaggeddon ,rather, it's very likely to be the same kind of thing like their attacks on nuke facilities in the past, where it took a couple months to figure out that it even happened. Iranians can't keep the assassinations of important scientists under wraps for a long time, but they probably aren't going to scream and yell about something disappearing via explosion that they continually claim doesn't exist.

No kidding? Well, I'll be

A Guy Called LULU — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:04:30 +0000

In reply to Secondary reports in the

No kidding? Well, I'll be damned. Henny Panetty makes the possibility of an attack on Iran a legitimate story to link to. Cool. Maybe even something legitimate to discuss and give an opinion on? Maybe even something to object to? [Or support, or just wait until we have all the facts.]

Before I go outside I will take off my tinfoil hat and put on my helmet. It should protect me from the pieces of falling sky that never really fall, but pity the poor far away slobs who may well actually have some serious shit falling out of the sky onto them.

Secondary reports in the

artappraiser — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:13:11 +0000

In reply to Is Israel preparing to attack Iran?

Secondary reports in the Israeli media:

Ynetnews - ‎2 hours ago‎: 'Panetta believes Israel will strike Iran soon'
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4184694,00.html

Jerusalem Post - ‎3 hours ago‎: 'Panetta believes Israel will attack Iran this spring'
http://www.jpost.com/IranianThreat/News/Article.aspx?id=256262

Arutz Sheva - ‎1 hour ago‎: US Worries Israel is about to Strike Iran – Washington Post
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/152387#.TysJUsi8gZ8

Ha'aretz - 22:58 02.02.12: Panetta lets stand report that Israel may attack Iran by June
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/panetta-lets-stand-report-...

[....] For my money, David

artappraiser — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:04:26 +0000

In reply to Is Israel preparing to attack Iran?

[....] For my money, David Ignatius is the best intelligence reporter around, even though he is officially a columnist (and novelist), not a beat journalist [....]

--Thomas E Ricks, former veteran Washington Post Defense beat reporter, April 4, 2011 @ his Best Defense blog @ ForeignPolicy.com