Report: Israel nixed attack on Iran
JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military two years ago to go on high alert for a looming attack on Iran's nuclear program, but backed off following strong objections from senior security officials, a respected Israeli news program reported yesterday.
The report exposed a deep rift between Netanyahu and his top security officials over the wisdom of attacking Iran, but also indicated that Israel was much closer to carrying out a strike at that time than was previously known.
Channel 2 TV's flagship investigative program "Uvda," or "Fact," reported that toward the end of a meeting in 2010 Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered Israel's military chief and director of the Mossad espionage agency to put the country on "P Plus" status -- code for pre-attack mode on Iran.
The report said the officials were shocked. Then-military chief Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi warned that Israel's enemies would notice the measure, which might touch off a war. "This is not something you do if you are not sure you will ultimately want to carry it out," he was quoted by unidentified close associates as saying. "This accordion produces music when you play with it."
The Mossad chief at the time, Meir Dagan, was even blunter, telling leaders that without seeking formal approval from Netanyahu's Security Cabinet, a decision-making body of government ministers, they were "taking an illegal decision."
"The prime minister and defense minister simply tried to steal a decision to go to war," he was quoted by Uvda as saying. Dagan did not appear on camera, and Uvda attributed his remarks to his "associates."
Dagan, who stepped down as Mossad chief in 2010, is believed to be the mastermind of Israeli efforts to sabotage the Iranian project. But he has opposed a full-fledged attack and since his retirement has lashed out openly at the leaders, describing them as warmongers bent on striking Iran at all costs.
At the UN Monday, nuclear chief Yukio Amano told the General Assembly that Iran is not cooperating with an investigation into suspected secret work on nuclear weapons. "No concrete results have been achieved so far," he said.
Sarra Sounds Off Ep. 35: EI baseball, girls lacrosse and plays of the week On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," we look at East Islip baseball's inspirational comeback story, Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week and Tess Ferguson breaks down the top defensive players in girls lacrosse.
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