Air Force

Strange Bedfellows

Apparently, neither Israel nor Saudi Arabia will countenance Vice-President Biden’s advice of 2008 to “get used to” the idea of a nuclear Iran.

This article from the Times of London:

Saudi Arabia has conducted tests to stand down its air defences to enable Israeli jets to make a bombing raid on Iran’s nuclear facilities, The Times can reveal.

In the week that the UN Security Council imposed a new round of sanctions on Tehran, defence sources in the Gulf say that Riyadh has agreed to allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran.

To ensure the Israeli bombers pass unmolested, Riyadh has carried out tests to make certain its own jets are not scrambled and missile defence systems not activated. Once the Israelis are through, the kingdom’s air defences will return to full alert.

The article goes on to say:

Aharaon Zeevi Farkash, who headed military intelligence until 2006 and has been involved in war games simulating a strike on Iran, said: “I know that Saudi Arabia is even more afraid than Israel of an Iranian nuclear capacity.”…

Israeli intelligence experts say that Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan are at least as worried as themselves and the West about an Iranian nuclear arsenal.

With the latest bombastic disregard for yet more UN sanctions, Ahmedinejad is keeping Iran on a military collision course with Israel and regional powers over its nuclear program, which nobody believes has peaceful purposes alone. As of this time, President Obama has committed to only diplomatic efforts to halt Iranian enrichment.

As those diplomatic efforts seem destined to fail rather spectacularly again and Iran’s nuclear program expands in both capacity and sophistication, the United States should take counsel of those nations in the region for which a nuclear Iran represents a serious threat to their very existence. Perhaps it is the US that needs to “get used to” the idea that regional powers that possibly include Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Israel intend to intervene by force of arms to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions. And the US should plan accordingly to back the play of those nations who are willing to step up.

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