Military Action Against Iran Would Backfire on Israel, Report Warns

[IndianaGreen]

Instead of sucking up to the Israel Lobby, like we did in the case of Iraq with disastrous consequences, Democrats should read the latest report from Chatham House, a British think tank, about what could happen if US/Israel were to attack Iran.

Published on Monday, March 12, 2007 by lndependent/UK

Military Action Against Iran Would Backfire on Israel, Report Warns

by Anne Penketh

Military action against Iran would backfire against Israel, which in turn would face "dire and far-reaching" consequences, a leading British foreign policy think-tank believes.

Chatham House says in a report that it is "widely assumed" that preparations are "well under way" in both America and Israel for military action against targets related to Iran's nuclear program. The report by Yossi Mekelberg examines the possible responses by Iran, which may retaliate with massive ballistic missile attacks on Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv or Haifa, resulting in "substantial loss of life".

Israel's relations with moderate Arab states would also be harmed, as any military attack would be seen as an offensive against the Muslim world and would fuel Islamic extremism.

"An Israeli military operation against Iran would hurt Israel's long-term interests. It would be detrimental to Israel's overall security and the political and economic consequences would be dire and far-reaching," the report warns.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0312-02.htm