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Bomb-bomb-bomb, Bomb-bomb Iran?
Will they or won’t they?
If they do, I’m probably safe. Or, safer than I was last week.
Talk in Jerusalem in recent days has been dominated by the question: Will Israel — or the United States — attack Iran? Israel recently conducted a major military drill over the Mediterranean. Iran said if attacked it would strike back.
I have moved to within a kilometer of the Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, and the Dome of the Rock, where Muslims believe Mohammad ascended to heaven.
In times of tension with Israel’s Muslim neighbors, this is widely believed to be the safest place in the country. Conventional wisdom says no Muslim nation would dare target Jerusalem’s Old City or vicinity.
During Iraq’s Scud missile attacks in the 1991 Gulf War, Israelis drove from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, where they were indeed safe. Thirty-nine Iraqi missiles landed in Israel. The Knesset building in West Jerusalem was targeted; otherwise, the missiles landed in the Tel Aviv area or elsewhere.
My new neighbor, George, a shopkeeper on Nablus Street, told me the other day that he decided Israel wouldn’t strike Iran, and neither would the United States. Too risky, he said. Oil could hit $300 a barrel. Nobody knows the location of all the Iranian nuclear sites. Plus, they’re buried deep underground. Besides, Bush doesn’t have to listen to his neo-conservative, evangelical base anymore: he’s not running for reelection.
George may be right. But, in case he’s not, I think we’re safe, both George and me.
Comments
By Sergei Etonhurst
July 8, 2008 12:53 PM | Link to this
Bob,
This may surprise you, but Iranians (unlike us?)take exception at their loved ones being murdered needlessly, go figure… They’ve not attacked us. We’re telling them that all options are on the table because we fear that they might be pursuing nuclear weapons? They are now somehow liable for our fear? International law aside, common sense, common decency tells us that this is nonsense, it is indefencible! We need to quit lecturing countries on nuclear temperence when we have an inventory of over 10000 nuclear warheads and even our own NIE and UN’s IAEA says Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons technology. There’s no evidence to suggest it, and no evidence for our allegations. In short our allegations are baseless. Never mind Iraq’s WMDs, where does Mr. Bush say are Iran nuclear warheads? I’ll tell you where they are Mr. Bush/Mr. McCain, they are exactly where you know they are, in fantasyland!
By Richard H Perry
July 9, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this
As a student and author of Biblical Prophecy, I cannot help but notice that there is an End Time Bible prophecy which indicates that a Middle Eastern leader will take peace from the earth. Scripture indicates that he will be given a Great Battle.
Could this situation with Iran lead to that Great Battle and World War?
Richard H Perry