David Rothkopf (DR), a former Clinton administration official has written an article on the Foreign Policy website stating that U.S. and Israel have decided on a limited surgical strike on the alleged Iranian enrichment facilities.
He quotes a close inside source as saying that the most likely action to be taken is a joint surgical strike as Israel cannot do it alone as it does not have the aircraft to carry the weapons needed to destroy the underground facilities (namely, the huge 30,000 lb Massive Ordnance Penetrator).
DR goes on to say that the strike would take only “a couple of hours” in the best case scenario and a couple of days in the worst case scenario and would be launched from the air using bombers with drone support.
Rothkopf points out that the U.S. Israeli administrations still have differing views on what would trigger the strike but it would seem progress has been made in what type of attack should take place.
The very limited strike would be more palatable for a war weary population in the U.S. (Iraq and Afghanistan) therefore would be less politically risky for the Obama administration which would also disarm some of the comments made by Obama’s political opponent in the lead up to the presidential elections.
The article does not give a time line for an attack but suggests that due to its limited nature, the strike is more likely to take place rather than something more elaborate and risky as a full scale air campaign.
There are rumours on websites that the attack will come before the Nov 6, day of presidential elections in the U.S.
Richard Clements for TheAviationist.com
Image credit: U.S. Air Force
DR article’s is Not even near Rational.
Right now irans Oil prudction is being reduced to 25 percent. country’s economy is buckling in couple of months there would be serious problems in iran. any strike would be a green light to iran to close strait of hormuz and harass strait of bab Al mandab (and do believe me Iran is perfectly capable of doing that) and oil price would start to depart to space.
there goes 4 years of political efforts for oil and economical embargo.
To support that little Hormuz Consumption:
In 2006 war , even with a comprehensive dominance on Lebanon sky,IDF couldn’t stop Rockets from being lunched. or attack the launchers before launching Rockets. we are talking about iran, Even their Sa-2s now have 75 Km range and IR guidance, needless to mention new Bulk systems and Phased Array radars, lets say they do not even have Air defence, well the problem is they have pretty good 333 mm rocket launchers, with range of 75 Km and thats enough for 52 Km hormuz, and there is a little news too, the rocket launchers also can fire Sea mines:
http://img.online-dl.com/images/l923_sa3bunker1ra5__Copy_.jpg
I always wondered if Israel secretly had acquired some F-117 bombers from the US. They were retired a few years ago but they are not at all obsolete. Who knows how Israel could upgrade them, given their history of ingenuity.
Pro Likud/Israeli pipe dream, won’t happen.