Officials: Israeli jets flying over Iraqi territory in preparation for strike on Iran

by Infidelesto on July 11, 2008 · Comments

If they launched their attack from an Americna base in Iraq, it would take them no more than five minutes to reach Iran’s nuclear reactor in Bushehr.

Ynet

Israeli fighter jets have been flying over Iraqi territory for over a month in preparation for potential strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, sources in the Iraqi Defense Ministry told a local news network Friday, adding that the aircraft have been landing in American bases following the overflights.

Word of Israel’s alleged Air Force maneuvers in Iraq has reached Iran. The sources said the US has boosted security in and around the bases used by Israel during the exercises.

According to the Defense Ministry officials, retired Iraqi army officers in the Al Anbar district reported that fighter jets have been regularly entering Iraqi airspace from Jordan and landing at the airport near Haditha.

The sources estimated that should the Israeli jets take off from the American bases it would take them no more than five minutes to reach Iran’s nuclear reactor in Bushehr.

American officials said recently that more than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighters took part in maneuvers over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece in the first week of June, apparently a rehearsal for a potential bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

hattip: Eye On the World

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  • Irondoor91
    The F-15 and F-16 are supersonic, but not with the external weapons and fuel tanks that will be required for this mission. We need some stealth capability in the first wave of the attacks to shut down the SAM threat, but that may be taken care of by sea-launched Tomahawks, assuming that the Israeli submarines have that capability. If not, the US Navy can handle it.
  • txnick77
    "
    Comment by Libertyship46 on 12 July 2008:
    I still don’t understand why we don’t give massive covert operations a chance to pull down the Iranian regime?"

    Bill Clinton gutted the CIA in the 90's. We no longer have the CIA of Reagan, only leftist holdovers from the Clinton era.
  • Rudy
    Layer Seven
    <div>
    </div>
    <div>The F-16 can reach Mach 2 and F-15 can do Mach 2.5 in the air. At that speed, 5 minutes is quite doable. Wait and watch for the fireworks to begin.</div>
  • Bushehr is over 200 miles from the closest point in Iraq, and 650 miles from Al-Anbar.  It will take more like 45 minutes, at best.  The source may be drinking camel urine.
  • Sheik Yer Bouti
    It was Jimmy Carter who allowed all this to happen.
     His advisor, BREZINSKI, is now advising OBAMA.

    Carter also won't shut up and go away. 

    I suppose Obama has plans for Carter as Secretary of State.
  • I still don't understand why we don't give massive covert operations a chance to pull down the Iranian regime? In the 1960s, the CIA would have engineered an overthrow of a government like this in a few months, saving thousands of lives, billions of dollars, and making the bombing of that country totally unnecessary. The West (including Israel and the major European powers) should be executing massive covert operations inside of Iran and supporting any faction that opposes the mullahs. With millions of dollars that their disposal, Israeli, Western European and American intelligence to guide them, and all of the West's technological resources at their disposal, I don't see how the CIA could fail in overthrowing the regime in Iran. Why not put all our efforts into that before we bomb anybody?
  • Para Trooper
    Any strike against Iran has to be massive, using hundreds of warplanes, bombers and that means US, maybe UK/French planes too. Iran's ability to strike back must be diminished. That means naval bases, ships, and most importantly submarines. IRGC bases, armored formations, troop concentrations. High up on the list is airfields, destroying planes on the ground. I think thier will be a huge Spec. Ops contingent painting targets and looking for mobile missile launchers. This was done in '91 with much success. We do NOT need to invade Iran, we need to destroy thier nuclear weapons and missle programs. We may need to repel Iranian attacks across the Iraqi border, or the A-stan border. With air supremacy, they are sitting ducks. The islands in the Persian Gulf, manned by IRGC troops and missle battalions will be targeted, and an amphib, or a para drop is not out of the question. Keeping the Gulf open, controlling those islands will be a Marine or Army Airborne job. Godspeed to all.  
  • Snake_Oil_Baron
    If they do this and only attack a few buildings relating to the nuke program I am going to be LIVID! They will have bought a year or so at the expense of strengthening the regime.

    They need to systematically reduce the regime's ability to sustain itself. All security infrastructure needs to be taken out. The Holy Chamber of Gray Beards or what ever their nest of high clerics is called needs to be leveled and special ops need to be harvesting Ayatollahs' on the ground.

    Knocking out some anti-aircraft installations and a cooling tower here and there will not be acceptable.
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