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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Is Israel assassinating Iran nuclear scientists?
2009-02-18
The Telegraph quoted United States intelligence sources as saying Israel is using sabotage, front companies and double agents to disrupt the Iranian regime's illicit weapons project as an alternative to direct military strikes.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that Israel has been carrying out similar covert activities for about a decade, ever since Iran was first suspected of seeking nuclear weapons. The U.S. journalist James Risen has written recently that the CIA and the Mossad have planned together a number of sabotage operations against the Iranian program, including damaging power lines to nuclear sites in order to cause harm to computer systems and equipment.
Operation Lemony Snickett is in full swing ...
The Telegraph also quoted Israeli officials as privately acknowledging the new U.S. administration is unlikely to sanction an air attack on Iran's nuclear installations and that President Barack Obama's offer to extend a hand of peace to Tehran puts any direct military action beyond reach for now.

As such, the reported goal of Israel's covert campaign is to delay or interrupt the Iranian research program, without engaging in a direct confrontation that could lead to a wider war.

"Disruption is designed to slow progress on the program, done in such a way that they don't realize what's happening. You are never going to stop it," a former CIA officer on Iran was quoted as saying.

"The goal is delay, delay, delay until you can come up with some other solution or approach," he added. "We certainly don't want the current Iranian government to have those weapons. It's a good policy, short of taking them out militarily, which probably carries unacceptable risks."
Posted by:Fred

#11  "Is Israel assassinating Iran nuclear scientists?"

God, I hope so....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2009-02-18 16:03  

#10  Gort - why not? He does "sleep wit' da fishes", after all.

And Luca was definitely no nuclear scientist. He had trouble opening a bottle of vino.
Posted by: mojo   2009-02-18 15:56  

#9  It's a good policy, short of taking them out militarily, which probably carries unacceptable risks."

I dunno. I kinda think it would be unacceptable to risk Tel Aviv getting nuked. But I guess that's just me.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2009-02-18 13:13  

#8  Mojo - it's Brasi. Small quibble but you don't dick with guys like Luca.
Posted by: GORT   2009-02-18 13:02  

#7  Are they really being assassinated? Could be suicide. Could be spontaneous human combustion. Could be a mold infection. Perhaps it's just that, like some things, some people are simply asking to be destroyed. Everything is possible. It's a weird, big world.
Posted by: anonymous5089   2009-02-18 12:39  

#6  Luca Brazzi?
Posted by: mojo   2009-02-18 12:34  

#5  Not "wet work" but social engineering.
Posted by: JohnQC   2009-02-18 09:43  

#4  I once heard the brag of an EOD expert that he could shut down a major metropolitan area for a week, and on a budget. In this he included power, water, major transport, and much of its food supply. He estimated the cost at around $500.

But, he concluded, if you wanted quality work, it could cost ten times that amount.

Ever since then, I've wondered about his conjecture, and admit it makes a great thought problem.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2009-02-18 08:48  

#3  Gerald Bull reports that he has no problem with this technique.
Posted by: Besoeker   2009-02-18 07:39  

#2  People always hope that there is "some other approach" out there that we just haven't figured out yet. And now with the best and brightest people ever to walk the earth assembled together under Obama, the bestest president ever, that other approach is bound to appear. Right? Beuhler?
Posted by: Cynicism Inc   2009-02-18 06:31  

#1  appears to be a good idea to me.
Posted by: Skidmark   2009-02-18 05:12  

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