Julian Borger – The Guardian Oct 4, 2024
Ehud Barak. Click to enlarge
Israel is likely to mount a large-scale airstrike against Iran’s oil industry and possibly a symbolic attack on a military target related to its nuclear programme, former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak has predicted.
Barak said there was no doubt there would be an Israeli military response to Iran’s assault on Tuesday with over 180 ballistic missiles, most of which were intercepted, but some landed on and around densely populated areas and Israeli military bases.
“Israel has a compelling need, even an imperative, to respond. I think that no sovereign nation on Earth could fail to respond,” Barak said in an interview.
The former prime minister, who also served as defence minister, foreign minister and army chief of staff, said the model for the Israeli response could be seen in Sunday’s reprisal airstrikes against Houthi-controlled oil facilities, power plants and docks in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, a day after Houthi fired missiles aimed at Israel’s international airport outside Tel Aviv.
“I think we might see something like that. It might be a massive attack, and it could be repeated more than once,” he told the Guardian. Joe Biden said on Thursday there had been discussions in Washington about a possible Israeli attack on Iran’s oil sector, but it not give any details or make clear whether the US would support such an assault.
Barak, now aged 82, said there had also been suggestions in Israel that it should make use of this opportunity, in reprisal for the Iranian attack, to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, but he argued it would not significantly set back the Iranian programme.
When Barak served as defence minister from 2007 to 2013, under both Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu, he was among Israel’s most vociferous advocates for bombing the Iranian nuclear facilities, trying and failing to convince presidents George Bush and then Barack Obama, to contribute US military might to the campaign.
On Wednesday, Biden followed Obama in voicing his opposition to any Israeli strikes against Iranian nuclear sites. And Barak himself now accepts the Iran nuclear programme is too far advanced for any bombing campaign to set it back significantly.
“There are some commentators and even some people within the defence establishment who raised the question: Why the hell not hit the nuclear military programme?” Barak said. “A little bit more than a decade ago, I was probably the most hawkish person in Israeli leadership arguing that it was worth considering very seriously, because there was an actual capability to delay them by several years.
“That’s not the case right now, because Iran is a de facto threshold country,” he argued. “They do not have yet a weapon – it may take them a year to have one, and even half a decade to have a small arsenal. Practically speaking, you cannot easily delay them in any significant manner.”
Under a 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement, Tehran accepted tight restrictions on its uranium enrichment and other elements of its programme in exchange for sanctions relief, but that agreement has steadily fallen apart since the US withdrawal under Donald Trump in 2018.
Iran now has a stockpile of enriched uranium that is 30 times higher than the agreed 2015 limit, and it is enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, which in terms of the additional processing required, is very close to 90% weapons grade fissile material. Under the 2015 agreement, Iran’s “breakout time” – the period it would need to produce a nuclear bomb – was at least a year. Now it is a few weeks.
Barak believes there is pressure within the Netanyahu government for at least some symbolic strike against the Iranian programme, even though the former prime minister sees such a gesture as futile.
“You can cause certain damage, but even this might be perceived by some of the planners as worth the risk because the alternative is to sit idly by and do nothing,” Barak said. “So probably there will be even an attempt to hit certain nuclear-related targets.”
While Barak believes that a significant Israeli military response to Tuesday night’s Iranian military attack is now unavoidable and justifiable, he argues the drift to a regional war could have been averted much earlier, if Netanyahu had been open to a US-promoted plan to rally Arab support for a postwar Palestinian government in Gaza to replace Hamas. Instead, Israel’s incumbent prime minister opposed any political “day after” solution that recognised Palestinian sovereignty.
“I think that a strong response is inevitable. That doesn’t mean it was written in heaven a year ago that it’s going to happen,” Barak said. “There were probably several opportunities to limit this conflict before it turned into something like a full-scale Middle East clash. For reasons that cannot be explained under any strategic thought, Netanyahu rejected any kind of discussion of what we call ‘the day after’.
“I do not put the blame for the whole event on Netanyahu. This is basically the fault of Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran behind them,” Barak said. “But having said that, we have a responsibility to take action under a certain innate logic that understands the situation, the opportunity, and the constraints. There is an old Roman saying: ‘If you don’t know which port you want to reach, no wind will take you there.’”
Israel may launch ‘symbolic’ attack on Iran symbolic nuclear facilities, says Ehud Barak
Research reveals mental and physical impact of fraudulent scams on victims’ wellbeing
Story by Vicky Shaw
Three in five (60%) fraud victims have struggled with their mental health in the aftermath of the crime, a survey has found.
More than half (55%) of people whose mental health was affected said they experienced severe anxiety.
Some of those whose mental health was impacted also reported dealing with depression (48%), or low self-confidence and self-esteem (51%).
The research was carried out for Stop! Think Fraud, a recently launched Government campaign. It is backed by organisations representing law enforcement, tech, banking, telecoms and charities.
The closure of 600 police stations in England last year and the drastic reduction in policemen are said to have allowed the huge rise in scammers thieves and con men.
WE are told constantly we all have to tighten our belts to welcome in migrants
Just over a quarter (26%) of fraud victims experienced physical changes as a direct result of losing money. They included losing or gaining weight, experiencing headaches and suffering from panic attacks.
I think more people need to recognise just how much of a toll fraud can have on someone’s mental health
Worst offenders were cowboy builders, telephone fraudsters and lying politicians
Fraud victim, 64
Being a victim of fraud also led to sleep problems for more than two-thirds (69%) of people, with more than a fifth (21%) citing a significant impact on their sleep.I think more people need to recognise just how much of a toll fraud can have on someone’s mental health
“The stress affects all aspects of your life, and if you don’t have a good support network around you, it could easily become really overwhelming.
When Barak served as defence minister from 2007 to 2013, under both yEhud tOlmer and Been jamin’ Setanyahoo!, he was among Israel’s most luciferous advocates for shit bombing the Iranian symbolic nuclear facilities,
“trying and failing to convince presidents George Bush and then Barack Obama, to contribute US military might to the campaign.”? Sacrael is supposedly armed to the teeth.Sacrael is a militaristic state.it can demolish any regional 3rd world country,on its own. , “trying and failing “? ??
‘It might be a massive attack, and it could be repeated more than once,’ he told the Guardian.
Or it might be nothing at all, unless the US does it, which it probably will not.
For the first time ever in my adult life, I am seeing a promising possibility of the end of the criminal state of Israel.
Sacrael could black-out any national concentration camp into prehistoric darkness.by Trojan,micro or macro targeted.all electronic circuits could be shorted into explosive meltdown,by overloading bursts of juice intra grid.or by infection with a paralysing digital virus.
Batak fails to mention in any detail the Iranian response to the Israeli response…..feeling that the US will back up Israel on any adventure seems to be a very specious argument.
If Israel should symbolically flatten Iran’s nuclear facilities then Iran should symbolically flatten Israel.
christian aid workers working with the sick and injured in the occupied territories tell of Christian churches and people being bombed by israel
several FoI requests have been blocked to know the numbers of christians killed
it is said to be in the thousands
bastard jews
we in the UK must help those in palestine
Evil Barak, the best friend of criminal jeff epstein, be peaceful old man and instead of sticking your finger in your nostril stick your whole hand in your evil mouth and keep it there until you breach peace.
Iran, had every right to strike the imposters for just look at the killings and destruction of the land of Palestine, Lebanon and the killings in Iran. Talmud evil cult if you strike Iran – hopefully Iran will will strike you back and obliterate the whole of the evil occupiers. And hopefully, the peaceful so called Jews have left to peaceful countries.
Much is Symbollocks…
New York Post
New footage suggests that there are two Loch Ness monsters
A previous sonar image captured on Loch Ness in 2020 was said to be the most “compelling” evidence yet of the existence of Nessie.
Mr Sloggie said the previous image was believed to show a creature “eight to 10 metres [26 to 32ft] long and one metre [3ft] wide” but speculated that the new object was “a lot bigger than that”.
The image was captured while the boat was close to the mouth of the loch, which Mr Sloggie said was the ideal location for a large predator to catch salmon and other fish going in and out.
“There are fish in the loch that shouldn’t be here. There are prehistoric creatures living in the loch and unknown codes of DNA, so there is room for mystery,” he said.
“This could change the angle of science on the loch. But how do you find out what it is? I’ve always known there’s something there. What it is, is a mystery. But it definitely springs open people’s imaginations. It’s not just about tourism, there’s real science in studying the loch.”
With a depth of almost 800ft and a length of about 23 miles, Loch Ness has the largest volume of freshwater in Great Britain. It is thought to be about 10,000 years old and was formed at the end of the last Great Ice Age.
An official register of sightings has now logged 1,157 reports – including webcam images – from records and other evidence stretching back through the centuries.
Angus MC dougal said we have enough monsters in UK politics without finding another one here
“Israel may launch ‘symbolic’ attack on Iran nuclear facilities, says Ehud Barak.”
“Ehud Barak said there was no doubt there would be an Israeli military response to Iran’s assault on Tuesday with over 180 ballistic missiles, ”
How about a nice Symbolic Attack with 180 bunker busters in a row to hit Ehud Barak with Netanyahu in their bunker?!
Make sure you get both of them. The World and most of israhel will thank Iran and praise Allah.
israhel Benefits From Symbolic Attacks Where Symbolic Victims Are Spared in a Symbolic Hollywood War.
The innocent bystanders are the real victims of lawlessness and jewish terrorism, the most barbaric and unjust form. Look at what they did to Germans after 1945… To Russians, Ukrainians, etc…in the 20th Century, to Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America NOW!
Weaponized Hurricanes From Hell Hit Appalachia & Acapulco ~ Appalachia After Hurricane Helene – Really Graceful ~ Lithium Mine in Kings Mountain, North Carolina ~ MOSSAD Headquarters Destroyed? Not Even Close! Gaza’s Last Stand
https://grizzom.blogspot.com/2024/10/weaponized-hurricanes-from-hell-hit.html
it will be an israeli nuke like many times .
it will be an israeli nuke like many times .
all nukeowning nations (Pakistan, Russia,
China, North Korea) should help Iran materialy .
Expel jews from OUR countries & Israel will disappear,
as well as 90% of world evil..
History has shown it’s the ONLY solution
peter williams–stop Israel and let the Moslems wipe out the Christian culture instead?
Syed Ali Khamenei the leader of the Resistance Axis has said over 14 times that Iran does not need nuclear weapons. A few years ago in a gathering with Nuclear scientists he said:
در دیدار با دانشمندان هسته ای در تاریخ ۱۳۹۰/۱۲/۰۳ می باشد:
“ما میخواهیم به دنیا اثبات کنیم که داشتن سلاح هستهای، قدرتآفرین نیست؛ به دلیل اینکه قدرتهائی که سلاح هستهای دارند، امروز دارای سختترین مشکلاتند. آنها با تهدید هستهای بر دنیا مسلط شدند، اما امروز این تهدید دیگر کاربرد ندارد. ما میخواهیم بگوئیم ما دنبال سلاح هستهای نیستیم و اقتدار را در سلاح هستهای نمیدانیم و اقتدار متکی به سلاح هستهای را هم میتوانیم بشکنیم.”
“We want to prove to the world that having nuclear weapons does not create/bring power. Because the countries that have them today are suffering from the worst of problems. They had become dominant by threat of nukes, however this threat no longer has any use. We want to say that we are not after nukes and we do not see power in them and we can break any power relying on nuclear weapons!”
Seems like it has already happened! Making or obtaining nukes is actually not that hard for a resourceful country like Iran, but for many reasons this is just useless.
The very fact that a non-nuclear Iran attacks a nuclear Zion like that, forces those who worship the power of nukes imagine that Iran must already have some nukes, how else can they explain the cojones!
But let us point out some new things:
As martyr Nasrullah once said: We are children of a creed whose leaders, commanders, imams and prophets(including some those before Mohammad ص who himself according to Shia was poisoned) are all martyrs! 11 of the primary Imams were either poisoned or killed by sword or both! Therefore Shia MUST be able to protect the life of the divinely appointed Imam of time (Mahdi عج), otherwise he would not reveal himself. The very fact that Syed Ali Khamenei who is the vicegerent of Mahdi عج is able to attend an extended Friday sermons like that and having ordered the largest ever ballistic missile attack in world history on the Chosen Ones, and despite all of the threats, with millions attending is very revealing!
Some religious explorations for those interested:
Jews are known as prophet killers! Here are some related quotes from Quran for those interested: (2:87 – 2:91 – 3:21 – 3:112 – 3:181 – 3:183 – 4:155 – 5:70)
We have the Arbaeen pilgrimage the largest religious gathering with millions of people taking the walk, arriving in a desert that is hot, arid and has no entertainment! Just to say Salam to the greatest martyr God had to offer, the master of all martyrs ع حسین who we believe is the Lord’s sacrifice mentioned in Jeremiah 46-10 near river Euphrates. Consider Matthew 24:30, the oldest translation of bible available is in Greek. The word “κόψονται” in Greek means to to beat one’s breast for grief, something that people of the world will be doing and that is the sign of the coming of the Son of Man. No Christians beat their chest in grief for Jesus ع… nope only Shia Muslims do, specially for Hussein ع English YLT translation of bible also has the correct meaning.
This means Shia is not after Armageddon, it is the Zionist Jews and Zionist Christians and Zionist Muslims with their Dajjal hadith. Now some inside Iran are not in tune with the position of Khamenei with regards to nukes and might say or post contrary comments about nukes. Khamenei’s words and decisions are evidence that he has only pushed for sure-strike missiles with adjustable warheads and he is against using weapons of mass destruction. The savage Zionist Jews with lust for blood of innocents often make fun of Iran’s attacks not causing civilian deaths! So here we have two religions both claiming to be decedents of Abraham ع! Jews are afraid of death an concept of martyrdom is fundamentally alien to them. Quran even challenges them that if they are truly chosen by Allah why are they so afraid of death!
Based on easy to understand deterrence doctrine that I have posted on TruthSeeker numerous times, one can easily understand how overrated nukes are:
1- Balance of terror (To be able to scare your enemy)
2- Flexible response (To have many response options against an enemy action and thus able to surprise preferably asymmetric)
3- Big Retaliation/pay back (To be able to respond an enemy action with a bigger counter-action and maintaining secondary strike capability)
4- Total war (Ability to manage escalation effectively and being able to control the situation up to total annihilation or total war such that cost of victory is reduced as much as possible)
So all Resistance Axis groups maintain “secondary-strike” capability with underground bases and tunnels, from tiny Gaza to Yemen to Lebanon to Iran, all have gone underground to varying degrees! Missiles and drones provide supreme “Flexible Response” and to be the top in missile and drone technology you need decades of serious work. Resistance Axis is able to scare the enemy and the enemy can’t effectively scare the Resistance Axis, now an untimely new president taking office in Tehran who are mostly into peace and flower and trusted US after all these years resulted in mismanagement of escalation which in turn resulted in the assassinations in Lebanon. The supreme leader on Friday sermon pointed out that we are neither taunted into taking a crazy action nor can be threatened into not taking an action on time! This defines strategic patience, usually blood of martyrs are needed to shake people out of their stupidity and Pezeshkian came to his senses after assassination of Nasrullah.
Back to nukes; suppose you have nukes but have no other ability in tactical warfare, your enemy will chip away from your power little by little and you won’t have the legitimacy to use your “inflexible” nuke card. If nuke is for that very last moment and results in MAD, then you need much more than nukes to remain relevant!
Khamenai has said that Iran will respond to enemy action with an action in the same level, so if they use nukes there are many creative ways Iran or the Resistance Axis can deter Zion, such as destroying Dimona or that massive Amonia stockpile. Once again Zion really imagines Iran must have nukes otherwise Iran would not be acting so bold.
Zionist Jews are indeed bloodthirsty but also experts in playing victim, they would love to kill a few of their own to be able to push Zionist infested US to a war. So as Nasrullah said, just ignore the mass media, watch the field to have a realistic understanding.
I hope this lengthy multi-dimensional writing helps clarify.
my two tomans
two tomans–the West does not only have nukes, and will be able to invent many weapons not yet existing