Barak: Steinitz, Ya'alon Thwarted Iran Strike in 2011

[bananas]

Source: Haaretz

An Israeli plan to attack Iran's nuclear facilities in 2011 was scrapped because then-Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya'alon (currently Minister of Defense) and then-Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz (currently Energy Minister) had a last minute change of heart, former Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in an interview, excerpts of which were aired by Channel 2 on Friday.

According to Barak, the plan was formulated between 2009 and 2010, when he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believed an attack must be launched before the Iranians spread out their nuclear facilities or build them deep enough underground as to render an attack ineffective.

Channel 2 said Barak had tried to prevent the broadcast of the audio tapes, but the military censor has cleared them for publication.

<snip>

According to Barak, Netanyahu promised him and then-Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman that Ya'alon and Steinitz were behind the plan. But then, during a crucial meeting of Israel's top security officials, they got cold feet: "The chief of staff presents all the issues, all the difficulties, all the complication, all the complexities and the problems, including the possibility of casualties, and we could see how Bogie (Ya'alon) and Steinitz were melting," Barak said.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.672335

[ladjf]

1. The "Kabuki theater" of Israeli politics. nt

[leveymg]

2. Either this is entirely for external consumption, or Israel should be sanctioned like Iran.

Two theocratic states that can't be trusted with nuclear weapons.

[forest444]

5. +1

A country that has illegally developed 400 nuclear warheads (courtesy of Apartheid South Africa and the U.S. taxpayer), ignores all UN resolutions and even basic international laws, repeatedly invades its weaker neighbor to the north, blows up its own embassies abroad (Buenos Aires, '92; and London, '94), constantly commits genocide against 3.5 million people under illegal occupation (including the use of white phosphorous and depleted uranium, even against children), should be called what it is: a rogue state.

[geek tragedy]

3. Barak thinks it makes them look bad that they opposed starting

a war with Iran.

That's the center-left of Israel for ya.

[Mosby]

4. it says a lot though, doesn't it?

Like him or not Barak is a military/intelligence insider in Israel so he is aware of things that you and I are not aware of.

And he's busy covering his ass re Iran's nuclear program.