"...the Iranian terror regime, which sacrificed hundreds of thousands of its people during the 1980-88 war against Iraq" Iraq attacked Iran, and yet you are blaming Iran for defending itself ? It seems to me that every country who is invaded and fights the aggressor sacrifices its own people out of necessity and that doesn't make them "terrorists"

I cannot imagine that Benjamin Netanyahu will want to be forever known as being the PM of Israel when Iran got "the bomb." Israel will do what it needs to do, and right now that means waiting a bit. When the US crossed Libya's "line of death" and was attacked, the US did not immediately retaliate, but when Reagan was pressed to retaliate he said that the Admiral in charge "was a good man, and he will know what to do." Bibi is a good man, and he will know what to do and when to do it.

As an expert you must know fully well that an Israeli attack on Iran can only happen in the context of American cooperation. How else will squadrons of jets refuel and pass through Iraqi airspace? As a result your hasbrah piece reduces your claims for being an "expert". If you know more than you're letting than share with your readership instead of the usual "we'll attack them on our own" BS which you know is entirely impossible unless you want our jets to crash due to running out of fuel on the way back in Iraq somewhere. You're also fully aware that we will have to coordinate any attack with the USA so that they can secure the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian mining and not sabotage global and especially American energy supplies. We're not going to hit Iran only for them to screw over all our allies in one go. That'd be suicidal and you know it. Challas with all this blustering paranoia and machismo

Al Qaeda terrorists attacked the United States on 9/11/2001. It's pretty well-known that Saudi charities funded Al Qaeda, up to the highest government levels. You might make the argument that the Saudis were only defending themselves from US aggression but it won't wash. Next to Iran, Saudi Arabia is a global exporter of jihad terrorism. Iran's proxy Hezbollah perpetrates murderous terrorism around the globe. Iran murders Jews by means of her proxies Hezbollah and Hamas. Is it your view, Iran is only defending itself? Sending out young adults as martyrs in the form of suicide terrorism and other atrocities against innocent Jews is a necessity?

Some 61% of the American people now favor using force to stop Iran. Congress is decidedly sympathetic to Israel's cause vis a vis Iran. Jimmy Carter's National Security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski suggested the other day that Obama might consider ordering US fighters to confront Israel's IAF should they fly through Iraqi air space. This is lunacy; the US coming to the aid of the fanatic ayatollahs against Israel. Should Israel give the administration sufficient warning that we cannot allow Iran to become a nuclear power, do you really believe Obama would risk coming to the defense of Iran's apocalyptic mullahs?

First of all the article fails to tell that in the case of iraq you were talking about one nuclear reactor and that was all,while in the case of iran you are talking about god knows how many which are well deep under ground,in a country which is covered by mountains and is twice the size of iraq(not to mention the fact that they have been scattered through out the country). This said,you must also take into account that the iranians (who have been in the region for a long time and know all the tricks and have the most influence in the region)learned their lessons pretty good from the iraqi nuclear case and also the syrian one. Keep in mind that an iranian retaliation will not just be limited to the region but jewish organizations through out the globe will be targeted(they did demonstrate this before in the case of argentina)raising the death toll on the israeli side. The scenario of having israeli pilot's being captured by iranians is also something israel cannot afford. So if israeli truelly wants to solve this case it either has to make use of the diplomatic window(i.e. supporting iranian opposition) or make use of MAD. Other than that it is too late to make use of any military option which would not only entirely endanger the region,but the whole planet. Dont also forget that an attack on iran would only in the best case buy more time(in the best 1-3 years),which considering irans capability in recovery(oil revenues)that period of time would probably be shortened.

This has been my exact point, Hard to explain in words by a novice , spoken by a middle east proffessional, Now we know the truth, but its finally come to media that this realization is real. Who makes the decision to go ahead, is a hard reality but some one needs to get the ball rolling in this arena. Its really hard to imagine that after hitler this is on the doorstep, we only just survived germany with 6 million vanished from the earth, obviously there are others in this world that have been makeing peperations to exterminate jews from the planet by causeing the jewish state to be killed off from with in and in exactly the way described in this article, yeah the muslims, and dont they know they have been acting very badly , all the muslim condemnations of israel spread all over the world createng the highest amount of ant-jewish sentiment since 1948, all on the justification that if 6 million jews were murderered the almighty must be turning a blind eye, therefore giveing muslims the idea that justifies there weird and mad idea of an atomic payload explodeing inside the holy land. We must understand that the public outcries of muslims world wide speaking of the 2nd holocaust terminogly comeing from with in there ideology, its not a little idea from a few muslims , it is a deep belief of circumstances on the ground, a means to actually start up islam as the 1 true religion ,according to them, so we all now know where the bullseye is and what is going to pointed at it, in the minds of most brainwashed muslims the bullseye is Israel. Out with the jews and in with the mahdi, lets bring it on they say, lets get it started they say, why do you think there is the mass spread of muslims all over the world it has only been about one reason , and that is setting israel up as a bullseye and explodeing it from with in , what a great path to follow in life, How on earth we have let these people multiply world wide for this single purpose is a travesty beyond comprehension. Some body stop it , As jews we know one thing, we all have the right to live and be enjoying of life , how ever it works out , Also as jews we know , NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TELL OTHERS THAT THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LIVE , BUT they are telling us that to our faces, when a bully hits you in the face and threatens your mothers life you act. If iran has teeth in its mouth, its high time we knocked them all out.

#7 wrote: "...it is too late to make use of any military option which would not only ENTIRELY ENDANGER THE REGION, BUT THE WHOLE PLANET." (emphasis mine) My goodness are you the defeatist. You might have done well in Neville Chamberlain's cabinet - among the 'appeasers' - in the nineteen thirties. You fear (you cringe at) the prospect of an endangered planet while ignoring the existential global threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the hands of fanatics; fanatics who hold to an apocalyptic vision of the end of the planet as we know it, by means of a nuclear conflagration. These people wait, nay they are eager to meet Allah. As much as we love life, they "love death" and martydom. In view of this reality, of what use is MAD? You are talking pure rubbish.

#7 seems to forget that Israel can hit again in his assumption Iran starts trouble again in 1-3 years. The thinking that this only solves the problem for the short term is ridiculous. Knock Iran off its feet and as soon as it rears its ugly animalistic head, knock it off again. #7 is obviously a pacifist and this type of mindset in the 40's would have us all eating sausages and using wet naps instead of visiting the barbar shops!

early on and chose to fight for several more years whilst not getting a mm more than what they were offered before.

they didn;t get permission to fly over Iraqi airspace, Jordanian and Saudi airspace in 1981. They didn't get permission to fly over Syria in 2007. And any closure of the Hormuz would hurt Iran far far more than it would the US - who have strategic reserves - even assuming they could close the straits which in 8 years of trying in the 80s they were not able to. Try some facts you might enjoy them....

if rabbi ovadia josef would have his way,israel would be in the same boat. and by the way i am chareidi

Basij force, which was literally sacrificed in the name of Allah. Those young man and especially children were armed with a plastic key to haven and sent to clear mine fields simply by walking through. Defensive war - yes. Sacrifice (for lock of better word) of hundreds of thousands innocent young lives - yes too.

...because the US didn't control Iraqi airspace like it does now. Duh...check your facts!

" How else will squadrons of jets refuel and pass through Iraqi airspace?" " If you know more than you're letting than share with your readership... " Non-Smith readership can, e.g., read WSJ article by reputable CSIS experts which lists several ways to strike Iran bypassing Iraqi airspace: northern route along Turkey border, southern route across Saudis and Gulf, strike by ballistic missiles Jericho 3 and submarine-based cruise missiles with conventional payload. No doubt Israeli strategists have some hidden tricks they don't share in advance with either Iran or Smiths :)

Point by point: "..an attack on iran would only in the best case buy more time(in the best 1-3 years)" That was also common assumption in 1981 before and after Israeli strike on Iraq; we all know these "experts" were wrong. Without bomb A-jad's regime will likely collapse soon. "..which are well deep under ground,in a country which is covered by mountains.." According to experts, it's enough to bomb entrances to the underground sites suffocating scientists and other trained personnel within. Another option is to destroy Iran's power grid around known sites; without power centrifuges are useless. "..an iranian retaliation will not just be limited to the region but jewish organizations through out the globe will be targeted" Israel can warn Iran that terror will be punished by destruction of it's oil terminals and refineries

Iran pushed Iraqis across the border and proceeded for several years with aggressive war trying in turn to conquer Iraq and export Islamic revolution. These Iran children were butchered by mullah on Iragi soil NOT in defensive war, but in jihad. Now, when Iran people turned against them, there are even more willing to sacrifice millions of them in nuclear exchange.

The first step is to take out Hezbullah, Hamas - and negate Syria's ability to act as an Iranian conduit. Step 2 is to unconditionally reject the deathly 3-state now being glamorized as a *2-STATE* by covert Nazis doctrines for the Jewish state. Israel is thus far also to blame for legitimising these doctrines of Israel's destruction. First make Iran to stand naked and without its Baghdad Bob boastings - and tell the world that Jews have never occupied or stolen other peoples' lands in all their 4000 year history. Otherwise there will be a host of Iran type terrorists taking turns and the same history will repeat itself cyclically. This is the real challenge.