Not only the United States is concerned over a possible IDF attack against Iran. In Israel, many high-ranking officers join in this concern, current officers and formers members of the General Staff alike.
Former IDF Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shachak is among those opposing a military strike. Speaking with the British Independent, the former commander expressed concerns over such a scenario, stating he feels the security establishment is not adequately prepared for the day after such an attack. He feels Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hopes to benefit from the public wrath that will likely follow a foreign attack against the country.
The former commander is viewed as one who maintains close ties with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and he is actually a close colleague of former chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi and Meir Dagan, a former director of the Mossad Intelligence Agency. Both Dagan and Ashkenazi have spoken out against a military assault against Iran under current conditions.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Repeating an earlier comment, thatb is even more relevant to this story.
Read Ronen Bergman’s cover article in last Sunday’s NY Times Magazine, Will Israel Attack Iran:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/magazine/will-israel-attack-iran.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=Iran%20Israel&st=cse
It’s a fascinating investigative piece…enlightening, pro-Israel and thought provoking. Bergman was given access to many high ranking Mossad and other Israeli officials. The article describes in interesting detail the arguments for and against a strike. After all his interviews, Bergman comes out personally thinking that an Israeli strike will occur in 2012
Historically, military people tend to be the most reluctant to start a war, probably since they have a good idea what they are getting into. Civilians tend to be overly optimistic – I suspect many of those in Israel who favor an attack on Iran feel that it will similar to the bombing raids on Iraq and Syria which were one time affairs with no retaliation whereas there are many reasons to believe it would start a prolonged period of hostility that might not work to Israel’s long term benefit.
Just curious,akuperma…do you have a “good idea” of what war is like?