Saudis clear Israel to bomb Iran

[IDemo]

Source: msnbc.com

updated 12:05 a.m. MT, Sat., June 12, 2010

LONDON - Saudi Arabia will 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's nuclear facilities, the London Times reported on Saturday.

Quoting unnamed U.S. defense sources, the newspaper said Riyadh conducted tests to be sure its own jets would not be scrambled and missile defenses not be activated so Israeli bombers could pass by without problems.

The path would shorten Israel's bomb run, The Times said.

Once the Israelis go through, the kingdom’s air defenses would return to full alert, the newspaper said.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37653040/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

---

Is this a warning ploy or are we looking at an attack in the near future?

[MadBadger]

1. Israel must be trying to start a war. I cant think of any other logical reason for this.

[Karenina]

2. The Saudis say it's just noise.

[struggle4progress]

48. Saudi denies deal on Iran blitz (Gulf Daily News)

Posted on » Sunday, June 13, 2010

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia yesterday denied a report in the British media that it will allow Israeli jets to use its airspace if Tel Aviv decides to attack Iranian nuclear facilities.

"Saudi Arabia has followed the false and slanderous allegations in some British media that it would let Israel attack Iran via its airspace," the official Saudi Press Agency quoted a foreign ministry official as saying. The kingdom "rejects violating its sovereignty or the use of its airspace or territories by anyone to attack any country", he said ....

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=280228

[struggle4progress]

49. KSA rejects claim of deal with Israel to attack Iran (Saudi Gazette)

RIYADH – Saudi Arabia has denied a report in a British newspaper that it will allow Israel to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities using the Kingdom’s airspace.

An official source at the Foreign Ministry, quoted by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), has described the report which appeared in The Times as “slanderous and false”.

The source stated to SPA that “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reiterates its position of opposition and rejection of the violation of its sovereignty and the use of its airspace or territory by anyone to attack any country”.

The ministry source told SPA that the Kingdom does not have any relationship with the Israeli government ....

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2010061375182

[struggle4progress]

50. Saudis Deny Report They Will Allow Israeli Planes Over Country (Arutz Sheva)

By David Lev

Saudi Arabia on Saturday denied a report in the London Times that it had given Israel “clear skies” to attack Iran. According to the report, Saudi Arabia was testing its radar and defense equipment in order to partially disable defenses, in order to allow Israeli planes to fly over Saudi airspace in the event of an attack against Iranian nuclear facilities.

The report quotes a U.S. security official as saying that "The Saudis have given their permission for the Israelis to pass over and they will look the other way. They have already done tests to make sure their own jets aren't scrambled and no one gets shot down. This has all been done with the agreement of the <US> State Department." It further quoted sources in the Saudi government as saying that officials in the country “all know” about the plan, and that they “will let them through and
see nothing.”

Riyadh denied the report later Saturday, saying it was “slanderous. Saudi Arabia rejects violating its sovereignty or the use of its airspace or territories by anyone to attack any country,” an official said in a statement ...

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/news.aspx/138017

[Prometheus Bound]

53. From one year ago: "Saudi denies would let Israeli jets pass for Iran attack"

Saudi denies would let Israeli jets pass for Iran attack
Riyadh rejects media reports it has agreed to allow IAF aircraft to use kingdom's airspace en route to attack on Iran's nuclear facilities
AFP
Published: 07.06.09, 17:31 / Israel News

Saudi Arabia denied on Monday a report that it has agreed to allow Israeli planes to fly through the kingdom's airspace to attack Iran's nuclear sites.

"Of course this is not true. We don't have any kind of relationship with the Israelis," Osama Nugali, spokesman for the Saudi foreign ministry, told AFP.

Britain's Sunday Times reported that the head of the Mossad had held secret talks with Saudi officials to discuss the possibility of Israeli jets flying over Saudi Arabia for such an attack.

"The Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israeli air force flying through their airspace on a mission which is supposed to be in the common interests of Israel and Saudi Arabia," the newspaper quoted a diplomatic source as saying.

Nugali rejected the claim of any talks having taken place, stressing that the two countries have no diplomatic, commercial or other relations.

He said occasional reports of a secret relationship are aimed at fraying Arab unity.

"Our policy is very transparent and our position is very firm regarding any kind of relation with Israel," Nugali said. "Fortunately, these continuous allegations are not taken seriously."

On Sunday, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also denied the report, calling it "fundamentally wrong and baseless."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3742313,00.html

In response to this report earlier in the day one year ago, again by the Times.

Report: Saudis to overlook Israeli jets headed to Iran
Sunday Times says Saudi officials have agreed in secret talks with Mossad chief to turn blind eye to Israeli planes flying over kingdom during any future raid on Iranian nuclear sites. According to report, PM briefed on matter. Israel: Reports unfounded

Ynet
Latest Update: 07.05.09, 09:40 / Israel News
Saudi Arabia has agreed to turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Iran’s nuclear sites, British newspaper Sunday Times says.

According to the report, Mossad Director Meir Dagan held secret talks with Saudi officials earlier this year to discuss the possibility, and has briefed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the matter.

The Prime Minister's Office denied the report Sunday morning, saying that Israel had no agreement with Saudi Arabia on allowing jets to fly over its territory on the way to a strike in Iran.

"The reports are erroneous and unfounded," the PM's Office said in a statement.

A diplomatic source told the British newspaper last week that “the Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israel Air Force flying through their airspace on a mission which is supposed to be in the common interests of both Israel and Saudi Arabia."

Although the countries have no formal diplomatic relations, an Israeli defense source confirmed to the Sunday Times that Mossad maintained “working relations” with the Saudis.

According to the report, recent riots in Iran following a disputed presidential election and the instability in the country have underscored concerns among moderate Sunni Arab states that it may emerge as a belligerent nuclear power.

“The Saudis are very concerned about an Iranian nuclear bomb, even more than the Israelis,” a former head of research in Israeli intelligence told the newspaper.

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, who recently visited the Gulf, said it was “entirely logical” for the Israelis to use Saudi airspace.

Bolton, who talked to several Arab leaders during his visit, added that “none of them would say anything about it publicly but they would certainly acquiesce in an overflight if the Israelis didn’t trumpet it as a big success.”

According to Bolton, Arab states would condemn a raid when they spoke at the UN but would be privately relieved to see the threat of an Iranian bomb removed.

The former American ambassador also referred to the Israeli strike on an alleged Syrian nuclear facility in 2007, adding that "to this day, the Israelis haven’t admitted the specifics but there’s one less nuclear facility in Syria . . .”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3741272,00.html

[quakerboy]

55. If it comes down to it,

How much will the Saudi's really have to say in the matter? My guess is not all that much.

[madrchsod]

3. total bullshit from the murdoch rag

the times ran a similar article last year

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6638568.ece

credit to...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=124&topic_id=324245

[cosmicone]

32. Great catch!! n/t

[yurbud]

41. Israel and/or US are going to be on the edge of war with Iran until the surrender their oil fields

then we won't give a rat's ass if they have nukes or even a death star firing up its laser.

[leveymg]

4. More provocation. Poking the beast in the cage - let's see if it responds . . .

There was only one lesson learned from Iraq - wait for the target to do something, anything, before you start bombing. Give it a sharp poke of the stick if it doesn't cooperate. Keep poking it . . . that's the ticket.

[No Elephants]

5. Wtf?

No, seriously,

:wtf:

[howaboutme]

6. When you start a war the only element that becomes certain is you have started a war....

the rest is an unknown.

I remember those words from a pundit prior to Bush starting the Iraq War in 2003. Once a war is initiated the numbers of casualties, the scope, the countries involved, the length, cost in dollars and human tragedy, and the outcome are all unknown.

Israel may discover that their "precision attack" on Iran, ultimately because Iran wants the same nuclear capability that Israel illegally obtained, may lead to far more than they expect. It may lead to a world war, world economic depression, and huge numbers of Israeli casualties that heretofore they have avoided by having the USA military and USA taxpayers do and fund their dirty work.

When Israelis see tens or hundreds of thousands of their own people dying because of a war they initiated what are they going to do? The schizophrenia of their leaders should worry the hell out of the world with their Samson Option as described by Seymour Hersh.

I've had a recent epiphany (I think that's the word) on how I view the Middle East and Israel, and the more I see the less I like.

[Ozymanithrax]

11. Israel never signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty...

so they did not Illegally obtain nuclear weapons. Iran did sign the non-proliferation treaty but is considered in violation of that treaty. So as much as a treaty makes something illegal, Iran has received a speeding ticket. Korea violated the treaty and withdrew. Call that robbing a convenience store. Except for the treaty signatories it is not against the law. The treaty just bands nations together to halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons by getting those nations to act together to make sure non-signatories do not develop them.

Israel has fought more than a few wars, and its people have no illusions concerning the costs of war.

I would classify them as paranoid more than Schizophrenic.

[TriplD]

15. If they obtained and maintain nukes outside any legal framework

then how is Israel's nuke arsenal legal?

[Ozymanithrax]

17. There is no legal framerwork outlawing the creation or maintainene of nuclear weapons.

The treaty doesn't make it illegal by those outside the treaty. The treaty bands nations together to stop its proliferation. It does this in two ways.
(1) Those who signed the treaty and, in return, are allowed to develop peaceful nuclear systems as long as they agree to regular inspections.
(2) They will stop other from developing those weapons by working together to see that nuclear material is controled and act in coordinated ways against states that try and develop the systems themselves.

It did not make it illegal, because there is no body with that kind of authority over other nation states and the treaty doesn't make it illegal. In nations like Korea, it has led to massive sanctions. Iran, who is in violation, is suffering a bit, but since China isn't willing to actually enforce meaningful sanctions, they have not caused real hardship on the level of Korea. Both Pakistan and India have developed nuclear weapons and have not suffered. They didn't sign it, and the world went on. Korea signed and withdrew. Taiwan has not signed but is going along with the treaty.

It is not illegal, but the rest of the world can make your life miserable if they can act togher, which in most cases they do not.

[defendandprotect]

44. Btw, America has stored nuclear weapons in Israel -- !!

[Synicus Maximus]

24. When people are out to get you, paranoia is just good thinking

[Ozymanithrax]

34. Israel has a reason to be paranoid. That was why I preferred to say...

they are a paranoid nation rather than Schizophrenic. Schizophrenia is often characterized by hallucinations or delusions. Israel is neither hallucinating that they have enemies of deluding themselves into thinking they have enemies.

I just don't think their methods of dealing with their enemies and strategic competitors are the best.

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[howaboutme]

37. JFK tried to stop Israel from getting nukes

He didn't live to succeed.

[roamer65]

51. delete

[The Second Stone]

54. Didn't Bush establish a lousy precedent of

setting aside any treaties he disliked?

[Wizard777]

7. Are they ready for WW III?

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

8. Wow. That's pretty hardcore. The Sunnis and Shiites really don't get along very well.

Saudi Arabia must see Iran as a very real threat. The Saudis don't have nukes. More and more countries are going along with us in keeping Iran from getting nukes. This tells me that it's the right thing to do. My hope is that the douchebag at the top over there catches a clue and realizes that he's probably in for some hurt if he doesn't chill out. Iran will get bombed if he doesn't back down. I think that much is becoming clear. Where it goes from there is the big question for me.

[customerserviceguy]

47. Sunnis and Shiites have been at each others throats

for about a millenium now. The Iran-Iraq war in the 1980's was all about that.

Once we leave Iraq and Afghanistan, the two sides will just go back to killing each other.

[harun]

57. Wrong. It isn't about Shi'ite vs. Sunni it is about the styles of Governance.

For the Saudi's it is a oil rich Monarchy vs. Iran's version of Islamic Democracy/Theocracy. For Iraq it was Saddam's Bath Style Socialism vs. Iran's version of Islamic Democracy/Theocracy. Now you have all the players that were rooting on Saddam to take out Iran in the 80's and now the Saudi/Israeli/American alliance rooting to take out Iran now.

While getting the people to fight the war turns in to Shi'ite vs. Sunni, the real war and all wars now are solely about resources/economics and $$$.

[windowpilot]

9. PANC

Gets Israel to it's bidding, but what's in it for them?

[iamjoy]

12. Elimination of a Rival

Well, this is just my bizarre line of thinking but it is very convenient for Saudi Arabia. They see Iran as a rival power in the Middle East/Western Asia. They don't like Iran, but don't want to dirty their hands or risking world condemnation dealing with it. So, who you gonna call? You hire a hit man. Israel has already shown a willingness to defy world opinion if they feel their security is concerned. So, it works out really well. Israel knocks out or damages the rival and Saudi Arabia goes on record condemning the attack while secretly breathing a sigh of relief. Publicly it's all "Bad Israel!" Privately governments are cheering. It's good cop/bad cop on a global scale and Israel just plays bad cop so well.

Of course, I don't know if that's all actually true, it's just a theory.

[Javaman]

10. Arab Persian war...

using Israel as their tools.

Interesting.

The saudi's are good at doing that sort of thing.

[Ozymanithrax]

14. Saudi's recognize that the U.S. is hamstrung and is allowing...

Israel to keep a major regional rival in check. It is pretty smart power politics.

Technically, Iran could declare war against the Saudi's if Israel should be allowed to use their airspace to attack Iran. So the Saudi's are playing this for keeps.

[ensho]

13. the Saudis may be sorry they did this

nt

[Karenina]

22. They HAVEN'T done it.

[Drops_not_Dope]

16. shit

for this we could have had John McCain for president.

Now where did Obama hide that Peace Prize, maybe it's locked in 'The Kingdom'?

[IndianaGreen]

18. Iran will retaliate by launching missiles against Saudi oil facilities

Is this something we want, oil prices to shoot to the stratosphere? And while no oil comes through the Strait of Hormuz, there will be a big push to open new drilling anywhere in the USA, including ANWAR. Is this something we need?

The American elites will profit from a Israel attack on Iran, at our expense, and at the expense of all the innocent people that will die during and after the attack.

[conspirator]

21. That is probably the real reason for any war. Profit n/t

[iandhr]

19. warning ploy

Middle eastern saber rattling

[Rosa Luxemburg]

20. Is that why Cheney was in Saudi?

[tavalon]

23. Well, wherever Cheney goes, Evil follows close behind

so it's certainly possible that's why he was there.

[IndianaGreen]

26. If Cheney went to Saudi Arabia, he didn't do it on his own volition

There are powerful financial interests that will benefit if there is a war between Israel and Iran. North Sea oil prices will go to where no man has gone before. Arms merchants will see new orders come in. There will be a major push for lifting all restrictions on oil drilling in the USA. The public will clamor for more drilling as gas lines beat the ones from the Arab embargo of the 1970s. BP will be saved!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

30. I remember the 70s well

[Jeffersons Ghost]

25. K&R..

it looks like an attack in the near future to me

[dixiegrrrrl]

27. This popped into my mind as i read this

Us, and them
And after all we're only ordinary men.
Me, and you.
God only knows it's not what we would choose to do.
Forward he cried from the rear
And the front rank died.
And the general sat and the lines on the map
Moved from side to side.
Black and blue
And who knows which is which and who is who.
Up and down.
But in the end it's only round and round.
Haven't you heard it's a battle of words
The poster bearer cried.
Listen son, said the man with the gun
There's room for you inside.

Pink Floyd..Us and Them

[Adsos Letter]

28. "Quoting unnamed U.S. defense sources..."

The US is sending Iran a message; otherwise, this info would never have gotten out.

[mystieus]

29. This will clearly make Iran not hate Israel anymore, and further stabilize the region.

[cosmicone]

31. Psy ops n/t

[rug]

33. Who was in that Axis of Evil again?

[Violet_Crumble]

39. I've still got this old article taking the piss out of the Axis of Evil bookmarked...

ANGERED BY SNUBBING, LIBYA, CHINA
SYRIA FORM AXIS OF JUST AS EVIL

Beijing (SatireWire.com) — Bitter after being snubbed for membership in the "Axis of Evil," Libya, China, and Syria today announced they had formed the "Axis of Just as Evil," which they said would be way eviler than that stupid Iran-Iraq-North Korea axis President Bush warned of his State of the Union address.

Axis of Evil members, however, immediately dismissed the new axis as having, for starters, a really dumb name. "Right. They are Just as Evil... in their dreams!" declared North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. "Everybody knows we're the best evils... best at being evil... we're the best."

Diplomats from Syria denied they were jealous over being excluded, although they conceded they did ask if they could join the Axis of Evil.

"They told us it was full," said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"An Axis can't have more than three countries," explained Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "This is not my rule, it's tradition. In World War II you had Germany, Italy, and Japan in the evil Axis. So you can only have three. And a secret handshake. Ours is wicked cool."

THE AXIS PANDEMIC

International reaction to Bush's Axis of Evil declaration was swift, as within minutes, France surrendered.

Elsewhere, peer-conscious nations rushed to gain triumvirate status in what became a game of geopolitical chairs. Cuba, Sudan, and Serbia said they had formed the Axis of Somewhat Evil, forcing Somalia to join with Uganda and Myanmar in the Axis of Occasionally Evil, while Bulgaria, Indonesia and Russia established the Axis of Not So Much Evil Really As Just Generally Disagreeable.

With the criteria suddenly expanded and all the desirable clubs filling up, Sierra Leone, El Salvador, and Rwanda applied to be called the Axis of Countries That Aren't the Worst But Certainly Won't Be Asked to Host the Olympics; Canada, Mexico, and Australia formed the Axis of Nations That Are Actually Quite Nice But Secretly Have Nasty Thoughts About America, while Spain, Scotland, and New Zealand established the Axis of Countries That Sometimes Ask Sheep to Wear Lipstick.

"That's not a threat, really, just something we like to do," said Scottish Executive First Minister Jack McConnell.


While wondering if the other nations of the world weren't perhaps making fun of him, a cautious Bush granted approval for most axes, although he rejected the establishment of the Axis of Countries Whose Names End in "Guay," accusing one of its members of filing a false application. Officials from Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chadguay denied the charges.

Israel, meanwhile, insisted it didn't want to join any Axis, but privately, world leaders said that's only because no one asked them.

Copyright © 2002, SatireWire.

http://www.satirewire.com/news/jan02/axis.shtml

[rug]

40. Lol, thanks, I never saw that.

[femrap]

35. Saudis are Sunni

and Iran Shites.

WW3 around the corner?

:nuke: :hide:

[Dave From Canada]

36. Saudi Arabia, as well as almost every other Middle East country other than Syria aren't very fond of

Iran. Not to mention Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, all fear Iran much more than Israel.

[Heywood J]

38. The Saudis are now DENYing this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4424547

[mistertrickster]

42. The Saudis should keep in mind that the number of Arabians is pretty small.

When you look at the actual of population of actual Arabians in Arabia (as opposed to the tens of millions of guest workers who actually do the work), it's only some 5 million.

They could be over-run by a couple of Iranian cities.

[defendandprotect]

43. Let's see... who might be pushing Israel to do this?

Who but our right wing nuts -- ?

[Prometheus Bound]

46. Israel needs pushing?

[defendandprotect]

56. Certainly Israel isn't acting without US acquiesence . . .

Certainly Bush winked at Sharon as this latest violence kicked off back at the

beginning of W's first term --

US supplies Israel with money which fuels their warmaking -- and with weapons --

In fact, US and Israeli weapons production is so intertwined that you can barely

tell the difference between them.

America has stored nuclear weapons in Israel.

Granted Netanyhu has just dissed Obama on his demand that they stop building new

settlements. However, without US support - financial/armaments/UN votes -- Israel

would be unable to do what they have been doing.



Keep in mind also that when Nixon became president and because his anti-Jewish

feelings were well known many feared how he might treat Israel.

However, Nixon armed right wing Fundi Israel which gave us a stronger foothold in the ME

and thereby burying liberal peace-loving Israel.

Later, of course, Rabin began the last of the peace efforts -- and he was assassinated

by the right wing in Israel -- Netanyhu believed to be part of that.

See: "Murder In The Name of God"

[roamer65]

52. Bombing Iran = WW3.

[whosinpower]

58. This story circulated a full year ago

It was denied by the Saudi's then. It has again resurfaced, and has been again, denied by the Saudi Prince himself.

It is bogus propeganda.