This is the story of a single night more than a decade ago, and a daring, hair-raising operation executed by the Israeli air force, army and intelligence community that destroyed an atomic plant in northeastern Syria. Yet no less, it is also a story of a big intelligence failure - the worst since the Yom Kippur War, according to a number of top intelligence people - in which Israel somehow managed for years not to notice a reactor being built right under its nose, in a neighboring country on whose surveillance Israel was spending vast amounts of money.
How Israel Destroyed Syria's Nuclear Reactor
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Israel kept this secret for ten years, and likely avoided a skirmish or even a fullscale war with Syria and Hezbollah occupied Lebanon.
Compare and contrast with the need to immediately run to the nearest microphones when the US sent helicopters into Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden. Who cares if it embarassed Pakistan, caused a problem for Pakistani relations, and prevented the US Miltary and Intelligence Services from exploiting the intelligence they gathered? The need for our leaders to crow about it immediately was more damned important.
Particularly after it took what amounted to a temporary military coup to actually run the mission against Bin Laden, because Obama kept preventing it.
"Who cares if it embarassed Pakistan, caused a problem for Pakistani relations..."
And it was embarrassing for Pakistan.
They were caught between a rock and a hard place: if they admitted they didn't know bin Laden was in Abbottabad they would look like clueless buffoons; if they admitted they did know he was there they would look like duplicitous jerks.
Instead they attempted bluster and dissembling. But no one was fooled by it.
Couldn't have happened to a more deserving bunch!
your comparison is like apples and a turd, very Unme like!
It's the bush action, or lack there of, that is telling
Anybody else note this: "One of the American media organizations had asked the Pentagon a question about the presence of a nuclear installation in Syria. This was, of course, one of the two scenarios that had been feared in Israel during the summer.... "
The attack on Iraq's reactor involved 32 aircraft. This attack employed only 8.
The F-15s flew at 300 feet! Who needs stealth aircraft since radar can't pick you at 300 feet.
Israel got the job done without F-35s.
Alright! Go Israel!
Hmmm ... so it’s only America that you HATE? Only HATE the West!? Or is this just your FEAR showing ... knowing that America’s military hardware and technology is becoming completely unbeatable.
"America’s military hardware and technology is becoming completely unbeatable."
Yeah, send the bill to the taxpayer. They are undertaxed anyways.
Indeed.
Re Intelligence failure: this 'secret' of Israel's has been openly known for years know. IRRC, the 'failure' came because the Syrian general running this op was very clever and detail-oriented-all communication was done by letter in sealed envelope. ALL OF IT. Which is incredible really. The most harrowing part is North Korea's role. I would not blame Israel for nuking Pyongyang one bit.
Re: bin Laden: I think the American people had a right to know what their government just did.
Just curious as to what set off the filter. Please release my comment.
Rizwan,
Aircraft cannot always count on being lost in ground clutter. They might if the radars are widely spaced and/or poorly sited.
When you top a ridge or hill, you are suddenly out of the ground clutter, and a good radar and operator will see you.
Airborne AWACS type planes can detect them at 300 feet. Many Air Defense Fighters are equipped with Look Down Radar that can defeat ground clutter if they are scrambled to the correct area.
Israel kept everything Secret. Syria was trying to hide the facilty in plain sight, so they had NO Ground or Air Defenses. Nothing to detect the airplanes as they approached from the North and East, or anywhere near the site.
Syria would have surrounded the site with radars, missiles and guns if they even suspected Israel knew about the reactor. Thankfully, they never did.
"Syria was trying to hide the facilty in plain sight, so they had NO Ground or Air Defenses. Nothing to detect the airplanes as they approached from the North and East, or anywhere near the site."
We had hundreds of miles to fly, some of them in an area full of missiles. We were very focused on the escape route because it could elicit surprises.
"the Olmert administration demonstrated an aggressive and particularly active line against the nuclear threat and against the threats of terrorism and guerrilla warfare in neighboring countries."
#redline #PeacePrize
Just wondering... who gave Israel the right to decide who could have nuclear reactors? Last time I looked, Syria needed to produce electric power for its people. But Israel doesn't like it, so they are allowed to commit an act of war, and get off scot-free?
neat.
blowing up a nuke reactor of a hostile neighbor is kinda like killing their doberman/shepherd/pit bull/rottweiler mix whilst still in the womb.
yupper dupper, seems like little Levi the bespectacled quiet unassuming kid at the front row of his economics class has some nukes hidden by that pocket protector.