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Report: Israeli military prepared for strike on Iran in 2010
The Israeli military was ordered to prepare for a strike on Iran by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2010, but the planning was called off after concerns from the chief of Israel’s military, an Israeli TV station reported.
Israel’s Channel 2 program "Uvda" is set to air a report Monday evening that says Netanyahu’s order to prepare for an imminent strike was met with opposition from Gabi Ashkenazi, then the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, and Meir Dagan, who was then head of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad.
“This accordion produces music when you play it,” Ashkenazi is quoted as saying in excerpts released before the broadcast, according to The Associated Press. “This is not something you do if you are not sure you want to end up with a military operation.”
Dagan went a step further, accusing Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak of acting illegally because Netanyahu was not seeking the formal approval from the full security Cabinet, according to the report.
In the excerpt, Barak also said that Ashkenazi told them the military wouldn’t be able to carry out the attack. Ashkenazi denied that, saying he had said it would be a strategic mistake, according to the AP.
Netanyahu’s spokesman said the government would not comment until the full report airs. He threatened a similar strike on Iran in 2012, which the Obama administration opposes.
Netanyahu had suggested an attack might occur on Iran’s nuclear program sometime this year, but he said at the United Nations that the “moment of truth” would not come until the spring or summer in 2013.
The Obama administration has tried to persuade the Israelis to wait on any military action, and President Obama has said there is still time for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute.
Obama has said he prefers a diplomatic solution but his administration is not taking any options off the table, including military ones.
Israel, the United States and their allies suspect Iran is workingt develop nuclear weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
