Taking aim at Iran
by Uzi Mahnaimi and Tony Allen-Mills, Sunday Times

Although publicly committed to the diplomatic effort, Israeli officials say the “point of no return” will come later this year when they calculate Iran will be in a position to start processing uranium. They say Ariel Sharon’s inner cabinet has decided to act alone if the impasse has not been broken.

“If all efforts to persuade Iran to drop its plans to produce nuclear weapons should fail, the US administration will authorise Israel to attack,” said one Israeli security source.

So in the tradition of Israeli military adventurism — the honour roll includes the destruction of Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981 and the raid on Entebbe, Uganda, in 1976 — Jerusalem is preparing for another daring strike.

It is a move which, if carried out, might scupper President George W Bush’s Middle East peace plans and unleash the full force of Iran’s military might against Israel and Jewish interests around the globe.


Full story here.