Iran’s nuclear program, initially cancelled after the 1979 revolution, was revived in the closing phases of the 1980-1988 war with Iraq. A majority of the international community has been at odds with Iran over its nuclear program because of its history of concealing its nuclear activities, the. Iraq's Nuclear Program: The Key Questions Marvin Feuerwerger Policy #40 November 29, 1990. It's still in operation at Tehran University, near the place where Iranians chant, 'Death to America.'. Operation Opera - Raid on Iraqi Nuclear Reactor(June 7, 1. Operation Opera is the codename for the 1. Israeli Air Force raid that completely destroyed the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak. The attack, codenamed “Operation Opera,”. Iraqis and the rest of the world, though for Israel it had long been in. It was only after the failures on the diplomatic front, and. Prime Minister Menachem Begin’s cabinet. Israel chose to go ahead with the attack on the Iraqi reactor. Iraq established its nuclear program in the 1. Iraq also wanted to purchase a reprocessing reactor. France. denied these requests but, instead, agreed to build a research reactor. With French support, Iraq began construction. Al Tuwaitha Nuclear. Center. The type of reactor was named Osiris, after the Egyptian god. Iraq's nuclear weapons program, as planned in 1988, foresaw the production of the first weapon in 1991. However, the nuclear weapon in the mid-1988 conceptual. Iran, Iranian Nuclear Energy, information on the use of nuclear energy in Iran, including the Bushehr reactor from the World Nuclear Association. The French renamed the reactor they were providing to Iraq. Osiraq, to include the name of Iraq in the title. The Iraqis called. Tammuz” after the month in the Arabic calendar that the. Baath party came to power in 1. During the Iran- Iraq war, on September 3. The United States and the Iranian Nuclear Program. Some observers caution that the United States must take lessons from its. Iraq's history with chemical, biological and nuclear weapons is a long and winding path that eventually ended in an American invasion of the country. Safeguards information concerning Iran, North Korea, Iraq, from the World Nuclear Association, the global private-sector organization that seeks to promote and. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who enjoys the final say on Iran's domestic and foreign policies, has repeatedly labeled any opposition. Iranian Phantom jets, part of. Osirak reactor but only light damage was reported. Israeli intelligence confirmed Iraq’s intentions. Osirak nuclear reactor and were aware. Iraqi threats against Israel. While, in 1. 98. 1, some estimates showed. Iraq was five to ten years away from building nuclear weapons, other. Iraq could have a bomb within a. It was. later proven that Iraq was within a year of obtaining nuclear weapons. Israel engaged in an intense diplomatic effort to try. French financing and support for the Iraqi project. The Israelis. knew that time was short because, if diplomatic efforts failed, they. The decision to use military means to destroy the Iraqi. Diplomacy Fails. When the Israelis learned of the Iraqi threat, during Yitzhak Rabin’s term. Upon Begin’s election as Prime. Minister, he appointed Moshe. Dayan as Foreign Minister. Dayan engaged in a feverish diplomatic. Iraq. 5. Israeli diplomacy engaged France, Italy (the main suppliers. United States. A high- level Israeli negotiating. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yitzchak. Shamir, negotiated with French presidents Valery Giscard- D’Estaing. Fran. The French proved intransigent. Iraq was by far their. The payments to France came mostly. According to Shamir, French Minister for Foreign. Affairs Claude Cheysson told him that there were only two major Arab. Iraq and the PLO. They denied any involvement. Osirak and responded to the Israeli appeals with indifference. Any hope that the nuclear threat to Israel could be contained. American cooperation. In meetings with the Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger. Secretary of State Alexander Haig, there was agreement about the. Israeli assessment regarding the Iraqi nuclear threat. American representatives. Israeli assessments that Iraq was working to reach nuclear. Israel. 8 According to Moshe. Nissim, then Israeli Minister of Justice, had Iraq obtained nuclear. U. S. According to Yitzchak. Shamir, some “greatly exaggerated the backlash that Israel. Shimon Peres. then chairman of the Labor Alignment in the Knesset. Israel would be like a “thistle in the wilderness” after. Peres was not alone in opposing the raid at Osirak. They argued that the. Arab world, be considered an act of war, would. Egypt. would result in the destruction of Israel’s nuclear reactor in. Dimona, encourage an arms buildup in the Arab world, and lead to a European. American embargo on Israel. According to Moshe Nissim, it was the need to contend. Arab ruler who would not hesitate to use it against Israel that convinced. Begin of the urgency and necessity to destroy the Iraqi reactor. In addition, Begin knew the Likud had a chance of. If Labor. led by Shimon Peres, came. Begin feared the plans to prevent Iraq from obtaining a. Begin, however, was not about to let. Israel’s security be weakened due to election considerations. Psychological Factors. The psychology of the Holocaust played an important role in Menachem Begin’s decision making. According. to Rafael Eitan, chief. Begin insisted that he “will. Holocaust.”1. 4Before the decision was made, Israel investigated a. Phantom jets. They did not know the capability. Iraq’s aerial defenses. The distance between Israel and Iraq. In 1. 97. 9, however, the Israelis. F- 1. 6s were capable of carrying two one- ton bombs at low altitude without refueling. Yet when Israel discovered that it had the capability. Instead, in an unconventional. Chief of Staff Rafi Eitan instead allowed the officers of the General Staff and Intelligence to. At the time, supporters. Eitan, those who. The Cabinet received word that “a shipment of. France to. Iraq, ready for radiation.” The moment that the rods were placed. This was tthe decisive factor for Deputy Prime. Minister Yigael Yadin, who. Logistics. The Israelis had to remove some of the F- 1. The. mission was aborted once and the date of the attack was rescheduled. On June 7, 1. 98. Rafael Eitan, briefed the pilots personally. Displaying unusual. The alternative is our destruction.” With that speech in mind, fourteen F- 1. F- 1. 6s flew off. Etzion Air Force base in the Negev, and proceeded to pass over Jordanian, Saudi, and Iraqi airspace, to. French- built Iraqi nuclear reactor. The flight to Iraq was done low- level so as to minimize the possibility of being spotted by aircraft radar in any of the Arab nations the planes flew over. King. Hussein of Jordan was vacationing in Aqaba during the attack. Seeing. the planes pass over his head, he immediately notified the Iraqis to. Israeli attack. It appears. Iraq never got the message as communication errors prevented the. Iraq. 1. 71. 8 Without King Hussein's warning, Iraqi defenses were caught completely by surprise and opened fire too late. The attack was universally criticized. The United States voted for a Security Council resolution condemning Israel and, as a punishment, delayed a shipment of aircraft. Israel that had already been authorized. The destruction of the reactor helped numerous countries. Israel. Had Iraq obtained nuclear weapons they might have been able to achieve regional. Ten years after the attack, the American. In June 1. 99. 1, during a visit to Israel after. Gulf War, then- Defense. Secretary Richard Cheney gave Major General David. Ivry, then commander of the Israeli. Air Force, a satellite photograph of the destroyed reactor. On the. photograph, Cheney wrote, “For General David Ivri, with thanks. Iraqi Nuclear. Program in 1. Desert Storm.”2. 0Professor Louis Rene Beres wrote that, “Israel’s. Jews and Arabs, American, and other coalition. Gulf. War may owe their lives to Israel’s courage, skill, and foresight. June 1. 98. 1. Had it not been for the brilliant raid at Osiraq, Saddam’s. Ironically. the Saudis, too, are in Jerusalem’s debt. Had it not been for Prime. Minister Begin’s resolve to protect the Israeli people in 1. Iraq’s SCUDs falling on Saudi. Arabia might have spawned immense casualties and lethal irradiation.” 2. According to Yitzhak Shamir, “Deterrence was not. France and Italy – and even. United States. It was attained by the State of Israel and its Prime. Minster who decided, acted and created a fact that no one in the world. Sources: Federation. American Scientists, Israel's Strike Against the Iraqi Nuclear. Reactor 7 June, 1. Jerusalem: Menachem Begin Heritage Center, 2. Osiraq/Tammuz. I,” WMD Around the World, Federation of American Scientists. Ibid 3 Maj. Arye Naor, “Analysis of the Decision- Making. Process,” Israel’s Strike Against the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor. June, 1. 98. 1, Jerusalem: Menachem Begin Heritage Center: 2. Yitzhak Shamir, “The Failure of Diplomacy,” Israel’s Strike Against the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor 7 June. Jerusalem: Menachem Begin Heritage Center: 2. Ibid 1. 5. 8 Ibid. Moshe Nissim, “Leadership and Daring in the. Destruction of the Israeli Reactor,” Israel’s Strike. Against the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor 7 June, 1. Jerusalem: Menachem. Begin Heritage Center: 2. Shamir, 1. 5- 1. 6. Nissim, 1. 9. 1. 2 Ibid 2. Ibid 2. 2- 2. 3. 1. Ibid 3. 1. 1. 5 Rafael Eitan, “The Raid on the Reactor. Point of View of the Chief of Staff,” Israel’s. Strike Against the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor 7 June, 1. Jerusalem. Menachem Begin Heritage Center: 2. Ibid 3. 2. 1. 7 Ibid 3. Shlomo Nakdimon, “Comments and Insights. Reprinted in Israel’s Strike Against. Iraqi Nuclear Reactor 7 June, 1. Jerusalem: Menachem Begin. Heritage Center: 2. Yitzhak Shamir, “The Failure of Diplomacy,” Israel’s Strike Against the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor 7 June. Jerusalem: Menachem Begin Heritage Center: 2.
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