Israel must be ready for any Iranian attack: minister

[sabbat hunter]

http://reuters.myway.com/article/20060822/2006-08-22T053630Z_01_SCH220115_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-MIDEAST-ISRAEL-IRAN-DC.html




JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel should prepare for the possibility of a missile attack from Iran, a cabinet minister said on Tuesday.

"We are liable to face an Iranian missile attack. The Iranians have said very clearly that if they come under attack, their primary target would be Israel," Rafi Eitan, a member of the decision-making inner cabinet, told Israel Radio.

Iran could fire missiles at the Jewish state "therefore we must prepare for what could come, and prepare the entire country for a missile strike attack, to prepare all the civilian systems so they are ready for this," Eitan said.

The radio said Eitan, a former spymaster, meant that Israel should prepare its bomb shelters to protect against a possible Iranian attack.

It quoted Eitan as alluding to the current international standoff with Iran over its uranium enrichment, saying if the situation deteriorates, Israel would be the first to come under attack.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." He has said Israel "should not assume" its ceasefire with Iranian-backed Hizbollah guerrillas last week means an end to the crisis.

Hizbollah fired 4,000 rockets on northern Israel during the war

[Avalux]

1. Just saw a bit on CNN -

"Afraid of Iran?" was the title; discussed how Iran has the capacity to take out Israel, even showed graphics of Iran's rockets and where they can go.

If I didn't know better, after watching that - I'd say CNN WANTS Iran to attack Israel.

[ClintonTyree]

2. Any old rocket will do.............

it doesn't matter if it's from Iran or not, they'll BLAME Iran anyway. And since the US and Israel are joined at the hip it'll be a sure fire way to give bush the "probable cause" he so desperately seeks to attack Iran.

I believe this is going to happen, it's not an "if", but a "when". The PNAC platform can't progress any further without it and bush's poll numbers are in the tank. It's time to work the populace into a lather again, time to get them scared and whipped up into a nationalistic frenzy. It's a tried and true Republican tactic.

[GeorgeGist]

3. If the Israeli's are going to take Iran at it's word...

"The Iranians have said very clearly that if they come under attack, their primary target would be Israel."

Then can we hope that no one will attack Iran? Or are the neocons willing to risk Israel being "wiped off the map"?

[Virginia Dare]

4. Wishful thinking...n/t

[Lerkfish]

5. the Israelis know something about an impending attack on Iran

that our own congress does not.

It ought not be that way.