Analysis: Dempsey’s remark regarding IDF’s inability to destroy Iran’s nuclear capability meant to show Israel who’s boss
Once every few years Israel needs a slap in the face to remember where it stands in the world. On Tuesday it was US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey who assumed the role of the responsible adult and slapped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, the duo orchestrating the national hysteria surrounding the possibility of an attack in Iran.
Israel can “delay but not destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” he said while sitting next to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who visited Israel a few weeks ago to allay the concerns of the leadership in Jerusalem.
Dempsey’s comments should be taken seriously, as should the stern message conveyed by Panetta, the White House and the American security establishment: If we can’t reason with you, the Israelis, we will have to get tough.
The general’s remark was not a slip-of-the-tongue. It was a calculated statement from a general of Irish descent and character. His words constituted a slap in Israel’s face, a punch in the face, and a kick to the most sensitive part of the body. To be more precise, the US slammed Israel’s head against the wall and said: “Shut up. Stop babbling about Iran. Without us there is not much you can do, and don’t assume for a second that we are dancing to your tune. You shouldn’t do anything stupid, and stop driving the entire world crazy.”
This was the message behind Dempsey’s comment. You don’t believe it? Just imagine what would have happened had an American general, after decades of ambiguity, would have held a press conference and announced that Israel does not have nuclear weapons, or that it does.
Now think again about the meaning of Dempsey’s statement, which was made after months and even years in which Israel was building up its image as an omnipotent power in the Middle East. Dempsey’s comments can even be considered earth-shattering: The US, Israel’s closest ally and confidante, has decided to bring the Jewish state’s leadership to its knees and hurt our exaggerated self-confidence and undermine our deterrence. No less.
Dempsey was painfully clear. He basically said that Israel should not disregard the opinions of its top security officials, stop the constant chatter on Iran and refrain from any acts that may have an adverse effect on the global economy. The general also meant to tell Israel that it mustn’t believe that Netanyahu has any control over the US because he has friends in the Republican Party. Dempsey laid down the facts: Israel is not America, it does not possess the same capabilities, and if Netanyahu and Barak continue wreaking havoc – Israel won’t have America either.
It will take a while before we will be able to gauge the depth of the current crisis between Israel and the US (and between Netanyahu and Obama). Washington made a strategic decision to show Israel who is the mentor and who is the protégé. The US hit Israel’s most sensitive nerve: The pride in its military power. But it appears that the US had no other choice. After weeks of belligerent headlines, President Obama had enough of Netanyahu’s inclination to play with fire. We should start getting used to it.
Just because the U.S. government disagrees with Israel, does not mean anyone is anti-Semitic. That’s your cop out. I’m not anti-Semitic, but I don’t think that Israel should use the A bomb to take out Iran’s facilities because of unintended consequences. Would North Korea or Pakistan then drop the bomb on Israel? Or drop the bomb on any other country because, well, why not? Why not bomb the Ayatollah’s house?
Nicholas Kristof of the NYTimes, who is not a political reporter, recently took a 17 day drive through Iran. The good news is the Ayatollah lost the battle with the young people of Iran. He wanted to turn them into Muslim Zombies, but Kristof reports they are enjoying their lives. They go out at night, listen to loud music, visit with the opposite sex, and maybe have a drink, who knows? After the demonstrations killing young innocents a few years ago, maybe the Ayatollah decided he could be over thrown if he pushed too hard. All through the country he talked to friendly Iranians, even in the boondocks, who were impressed he was an American, whom they like.
A woman Irani singer who lives in Israel and is becoming a star, said on TV today that the Iranians have no reason to hate Israel. It’s the damned Shiite Muslim leaders who have taken this stance because they don’t know their own history. Or if they do, the clerics have taught their people to hate Jews and Christians. As if the Muslims would be anywhere in this world without the Jews. Those experts who warn of the breakdown of Muslim civilization have a point.
Go back and look at the photos of Japan after the U.S. A-bombed them in WWII. It’s the average citizens of a country who always suffer the most for the actions of its leaders. There are a lot of innocent Iranians who would be lost who never did nothin’ to nobody.
As to an article in the NYTimes about the Arab Palestinians and honor killings, these people are committing blasphemy against Moses for viewing him as a great teacher, and then ignoring Moses’ ten commandments, especially thou shalt not kill. It takes a low down yellow coward to kill someone who can’t defend themselves and even more of a shayton to kill one’s own family.
The hell with Dempsey Pannetta & all the rest of the Anti Semites in DC Israels the one & only ally the U.S. has in the middle east. It’s all about the oil Screw the Jews that”s Wash Idea let Israel get wiped out as long as the corrupt Arab oil keeps flowing & the oil co. & DC politicians can keep stuffing their pockets. Wake up people first they will come for Israel this country will be next Then it’s too Dam late.
I would like to point out that the electromagnetic pulse caused by a nuclear explosion in the upper atmosphere does its damage through the production of gamma radiation, which passes easily through seemingly solid material. It is a technical question, but such an explosion might be sufficient to fry electronics buried in Iran’s deepest protected bunkers. They and their vaunted technology will be crispy critters in such an enclosed area with no need for bunker-busters at all.
An attack on Iran at the start of the winter season seems reasonable. Two months without electricity should reduce their willingness to pursue their genocidal goals. They have so little understanding about their vulnerability and the anachronism of the type of war they wish to wage that it makes my head spin. The replacement cost of their infrastructure is beyond their ability to pay for it. Should Israel use an electromagnetic pulse approach, it will require a single bomb. No Israeli soldiers, no cleanup, no deaths on either side, probably no legal complications, and very little diplomatic blowback.
Perhaps just as important, it will make governments worldwide consider better alternatives than war in settling disputes and will thus undermine the Muslim penchant to resort to force to settle disagreements.
General Dempsey actually meant to imply not very much except that he doesn’t believe that Israel can do more than can the US with all of its conventional capabilities, and further he implied that it is unlikely that the US could do more than delay Iran’s nuclear bomb program. He implied, per US policy statements, that Israel should not go at this problem alone, and to get US backing with the present administration, they should not try to “go it alone” before President Obama is re-elected. Now one may infer many things from this simple comment, but all such inferences would seem to require the wisdom of King Shlomo to be correct. I believe, assuming the re-election of President Obama, that any such assurances given now that the US will back Israel should she attack Iran will disappear as quickly as the morning mist disappears before the hot morning sun. This president is decidely not pro-Israeli, but needs the Jewish vote here badly. After he is re-elected, as he assured President Medvedev of Russia, he will have much more flexibility.
@ Joe Hamilton
Are you saying that Generals Eisenhower, Patton, McArthur and others were mediocre? We should all be so mediocre in the same way.
A guy named Attila wrote this article?
I too think the rhetoric should be lowered.
Can US go to war in the middle of an electioneering gambit or even on the eve of elections?
Who is to be trusted?
@ Lum:
We really do not need examinations from the US which has managed to lose every single war they fought by themselves since and including Vietnam. Should we show the last moments of the US in Saigon for a refresher?
Outside the Grenada sham, I cannot recall a single US victory anywhere.
As to nukes.
The US has stationed under new orders from Soetoro, 90 nuclear bombs B- 6 1, Rev 12 and higher at the INCERLIK Turkish Air Force Base. There are there also about 6000 airmen and aircraft. That base is 32 miles North of the Med facing us.
Aircraft from there can only tour the Med basin… The bombs cannot reach Iran or Russia so… a simple analyst could make conclusions, could he or she?
Those bombs shall have go back to the US or will have to be attended to in case of conflict.
Israeli TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Lets see if this is clear enough. NO ONE will be allowed to prepare our destruction and survive. Iran and others are not enough aware it appears.
Israel naturally would prefer not to but we could use them and Russia will not attack anyone. Pakistan does not have reach and China is in huge partnerships here.
Then again… Anything could happen but not only to us… EVERYONE should carefully consider reality including about 400 nuclear weapons on the ready.
As a former Senior-Fellow Engineer US Department of Defense Military Avionics Programs with training at China Lake and Sandia I KNOW all I need to know about nuclear weapons and would not at all prefer the prospect of those weapons being used but the US and others must use alacrity and true military leaders to disarm Iran, NOW.
The US cannot possibly be trusted under the present administration but it is up to them to understand that there will be no flex on Iran’s nukes. None.
This “analysis” has no relevance to any potential course of action. It is likely that the GOI is aware, without demspsey’s statements, of whatever the US relationship situation is. Dempsey appears to be an election stooge or trotted out for disinformation purposes.
Garden-variety Israeli defeatist/leftist. Didn’t know ISRAPUNDIT had a fairness doctrine.
I fear that a pre emptive strike at Iranian nuclear facilities only is not enough and has dangerous repercussions. ONce making the strike Israel should seek to incapacitate Iranian govt and infrastructure so as to prevent retaliation. The wolf should be rendered into a lamb stew.
“Conservative” is how you describe those making threats of genocide?
If Israel were to nuke Iran, Russia and China, and perhaps Pakistan might very will nuke Israel. Bottom line – Israel is not invincible. Look at how the Russians and Chinese are protecting Syria. They won’t tolerate a “preemptive” nuclear strike on Iran. No one will
Israel has never been more secure than it is now. Once Assad goes down which is inevitable that will severely weaken Hezbollah. The West has given up on getting Israel to make Peace. So, why would Israel dig its own grave? Hubris? It thinksbits invincible? It thinks the U.S. will always be there to protect it? Iran has no weapons, and even if it did it would never use them. The country is being run by very very conservative men, not suicide bombers. Israel’s best strategy is to do nothing. Eventually, the Iranians will tire of this theocracy.
Dempsey is just another incompetent US Army General (which is a redundancy) who did not reach his position based on any military talent but because as all US Army Generals, he is a good politician. Tactical and Strategic skill are unimportant in the US Army. There are occasional decent generals like Norman Schwarzkopf but he was the exception. The US Army has not defeated any opponent except Iraq since 1898. The couldn’t defeat the North Koreans or Chinese, the Vietnamese and now have wasted billions of dollars in their long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and once again leave as losers. So who gives a f—k what Dempsey who is just another incompetent fool graduate of the incredibly overrated West Point has to say. They are not only incompetent but also very anti-Semitic. Almost all the most anti-Semitic pseudo intellectuals in the US are graduates of West Point: including the ignorant, stupid fools Walt and Mearsheimer. I was a member of the US Army and I can tell you those who reach rank of general are the best politicians and their tactical and strategic skills are generally mediocre or worse. If Israel had generals like Dempsey and Patreus, there would be no Israel. The US army soldiers are very good up to the rank of E5 (Sgt). I obviously have a very low opinion of US Army officers above the rank of Lt. An objective evaluation of their performance since WWII (during which they were mediocre) totally support my opinion.
Oops, there goes the teleprompter. 🙂
Obama’s teleprompter goes out. Must watch.
http://israelmatzav.blogspot.ca/2012/08/comedy-gold-obamas-teleprompter-goes-out.html
Tent city locations ready for potential war evacuees
By YAAKOV KATZ
Vilna’i: In event of war, 24,000 people to be housed in tents near Eilat, in areas near Park Timna, Pundak 101 and Arava Regional Council territory.
Dempsey is a political hack and an idiot to boot. He couldn’t even take out Gaddafi in short order.
If Israel’s leaders were to believe that non-nuclear retaliations could not prevent national annihilation.
Recognizing Israel’s exceptionally small size, its calculated threshold of existential harms could be considerably lower than Israel’s total physical devastation.
If an enemy state’s response to an Israeli preemption were limited to hard-target, conventional strikes. But.. If the enemy state’s conventional retaliation were an all-out strike directed toward Israel’s civilian populations, as well as to Israeli military targets, an Israeli nuclear counter-retaliation could not be ruled out.
I have said many times what America can do conventionally we are limited. Therefore in my opinion the only way Israel-can justify an attack against Iran is if it can have a reasonable probability of success. Therefore Israel out of no choice-will need to use what we have available to insure our success.
Now if we take Iranian oil off the market, it would make replacing Iranian nuclear facilities without the oil revenue.
Oh, the worlds economic collapse with $50 + gallon gas.. Tough…!!!
The primary point of Israel’s nuclear forces must be deterrence ex ante, not preemption or reprisal ex post.
mi sh’maveen, maveen (He who understands, understands)
Written like a good little court Jew.
Wishful thinking on Somfalvi’s part.
This may be, but the reverse is also true. Iranian nuclear weapons are a matter of life and death for the Jewish state. Dempsey should not think for a second that Israel will simply sit by regarding such an existential threat just because the Obama administration orders it to. Whatever military risks there are to an Israeli strike on Iran or the political and diplomatic fallout, pale in comparison to the danger of a nuclear armed Iran.
I would agree on one point. Bibi and Barak should stop talking and simply act.
Attila Somfalvi is a Far Leftist. Its clear he’s against Israel defending itself.
His column will make Netanyahu and Barak do the exact opposite of what he and the bulk of the Israeli opinion elite want.
In other words, the duo will seek to discredit Somfalvi and Netanyahu in particular has a long memory and will take the opportunity, when it presents itself, to avenge himself on his critics in the Israeli media.