The decision to attack Iran can be expected in the very near future

The decision to attack Iran can be expected in the very near future

The former head of military intelligence General (Ret.) Ze'vi-Farkash stated this week that an Israeli decision as to whether to take military action against Iran to stop that country achieving nuclear weapons capability can be expected "in the very near future".   He was talking with Channel 2 news reporter and anchor man, Danny Kushmarov.

Earlier in the week. Prime Minister Netanyahu also gave a television interview in which he said that he will be the one to decide if the time has come to strike at Iran's nuclear infrastructure.

Ze'evi-Farkash said in his interview that, in his opinion, we have to give the international efforts and  especially those of the United States, time to work.  He said that military action against Iran, whether taken by Israel alone or by an alliance of Western powers would almost certainly result in Iran launching a massive missile attack on Israel.  "Experience has shown, after many confrontations with the Ayatollah's front men in Lebanon and Gaza, that no matter how hard we hit them, they get resupplied with more and better missiles" said Ze'evi-Farkash.  "This time, Israel will have to face an missile assault on at least three fronts - from Lebanon, from Gaza and from Iran.  If we factor in the growing strength of militant Islamic groups in the Sinai, it could well be four fronts.  The damage to Israel, the loss of life would be catastrophic!"

"The Iranians have to realize that, if they continue in their race to get a nuclear weapon and don't heed the warnings of the international community and the sanctions imposed on them, then at some stage, they will be laying themselves open for a military strike against their strategic military bases and their nuclear facilities."  When asked who he thought would strike the Iranians he said that it could be an international alliance or even Israel working alone "...if the government feels that the threat is so great and so immediate that it warrants the almost certain outbreak of war and the casualties that we can expect, mainly in the civilian sector".

When asked if he thought that Israel should "go it alone", Ze'evi-Farkash said that, at the moment, there was a general consensuses in the Western world that military action should be the last resort.  If Israel decides to attack, it must be done at a time and under circumstances that will ensure the free world's support after the attack has begun.  "If Israel is left alone in the arena, I dread to think of the results", he added.

In related news, according to sources in the Free Syrian Army, some 3000 Iranian troops have been sent from Iran to fight along Assad's soldiers as they try to stamp out the resistance against the regime.  It should be remembered that Iran has consistently supported the Assad regime and according to some commentators, this latest move could be seen as an Iran\an attempt to gain a foothold closer to Israel and perhaps even to gain access if not control of some of Assad's chemical and biological weapons.