US concerned Israeli strike in Iran 'doomed to fail'

The heads of the Pentagon have expressed concerns that an Israeli plan for a possible strike on Iran's nuclear facilities would fail to destroy the them, as both the CIA and the Mossad's intelligence seems lacking in details of the bases' location, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

According to the report, the American commanders are worried that Israel will feel compelled to act within the next year; even if it has no assurances that it can do anything more than just slow Iran's development of nuclear weapons.

The Pentagon reportedly fears that several gaps in the intelligence indicating the precise location and susceptibility of Iran's facilities, as were evident in a recent meeting between Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the American Joint Chiefs of Staff, and IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi, make such an attack a high-risk venture, which may destabilized the situation in the Middle East further. 

Those familiar with the Israeli-American military talks, added the Telegraph, believe that Israel is determined to take action before Iran has enough enriched uranium to build a bomb, and before Tehran has acquired the Russian SA-20 air defense system to protect its nuclear facilities.

"The Israelis have a real sense of urgency," said a US official. "They are stepping up their preparations. But the Israelis and the Americans are worried about the other's lack of intelligence… The Americans had spies in Iran until they were rounded up in 2003 and now they do not have much by way of human intelligence on the ground.

"The Israelis have better information. But the Americans left the meetings unconvinced that the Israelis have enough intelligence on where to strike, and with little confidence that they will be able to destroy the nuclear program."