I don’t know what to make of this report in the New York Times that Israel almost attacked Iran in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Particularly in 2010, that would have been in the context of following up on Operation Cast Lead (a.k.a, the Gaza War). I guess the news is, if it can be believed at face value, that the civilian leadership really wanted to start a war with Iran but the military leaders demurred. But this was already understood to be the basic history, so all this does is confirm that it wasn’t necessarily all bluster intended to play bad cop to our good cop.
About The Author

BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
So, we’ve known for 5 years that Netanyahoo is off his rocker yet we continue to send his weapons and billions of dollars every year? Great!!!!
Netanyahou is hardly off his rocker. He’s a bad person, maybe.
maybe?
And did ‘we’ play good cop?
I have seen reports that on at least two occasions Netanyahu order the IDF to bomb Iran and the IDF senior staff refused. And on a third occasion, Netanyahu ordered the IDF to send ground troops into Gaza and the IDF refused.
The reports seemed credible if only because of the catastrophe for the IDF that those rash actions would have produced.
Those reports are believeable whether they are true or not. I’m not sure that I would extend the decision to “the civilian leadership”. I would not in the absence of good reporting even extend the report to the Minister of Defense. I would proceed as if the story is about Netanyahu’s autocratic tendencies and his absence of prudence.
I would also assume that there is internal politics in Israel involved in its release now.
Netanyahu has pushed Obama’s signature achievement back in Obama’s own party. Experience shows that Barack Hussein Obama does not like that kind of double-crossing of actions in good faith. Consider Stanley McChrystal and David Petraueus.
What Obama’s good faith traditional US policy did was out the single-state apartheid agenda that Israel had been diplomatically dribbling for 70 years. Now they will have to live the consequences of that chicanery. All the US has to do if not vote a veto in the UN Security Council. Or fail to get an appropriation passed because the GOP shut downs government.
Don’t think the “bad cops” in Israel or the US are are playing. They are as serious as George W. Bush was about getting Saddam Hussein.
And the latest consequence of that policy is the re-Nazification of Germany in reaction to Iraqi and Syrian refugees being taken in by Merkel. Riots in Dresden yesterday.
The zeitgeist is getting the early 1930s feel about it. I hope there is a Roosevelt somewhere in the political mix in some country or we are truly sunk.
Nothing new, has been well documented — see Meir Dagan. In 2012 it was Obama who stood firm in opposition to an Iran strike. Israel didn’t have the capability to really damage Iran’s nuclear facilities and needed support from USAF. Obama compensated Israel military with additional weaponry and strike capability.
Over the years Israel’s leaders have shown to commit war crimes, Netanyahu wants to join their ranks. Last year’s attack on Gaza already filled the bill.
○ Barak – Netanyahu was on verge of Attacking Iran 3 Times 2010-12 (Why Listening to him on Iran Diplomacy is Daft) | Informed Comment |
○ Security Breach Inside Netanyahu’s Bunker on Iran Strike – Sept. 2012
See link to my diaries on this topic in 2012 and before – here.
Iran is NOT Iraq.
And especially NOT Afghanistan.
They have wanted to push us into war.
Some folks knew it.
Glad to get the confirmation.
interesting to me that the warmongering NY Times decided to publish this; could it be they’re changing their ways?
correction: warmongering and Obama bashing