Video: Shimon Peres taking the Iranian threat pretty much in stride
posted at 12:44 pm on September 23, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Oldish but funny. Here’s the 84-year-old then-deputy prime minister, now president of Israel fielding questions from a reporter in May about Ahmadinejad’s exterminationist rhetoric. A blogger who speaks Hebrew translates:
The interviewer for the Arab television station begins by asking Peres, who is already nodding off, “Do you think that Iran’s nuclear program represents an existential threat to Israel?” Peres lifts his head and gives a coherent answer, even though he is more than half asleep: “It’s an existential threat to Iran. Why to Israel? What will they do to Israel? I don’t think they will do anything to Israel. Let them spend all their billions on building shelters and developing nuclear weapons. They will discover in 10 years that they made a mistake.”
The interviewer quickly translates his response into Arabic. Turning back to Peres, who has meanwhile fallen asleep again, the interviewer clears his throat nervously and says, hesitantly, “The president of Iran says frequently that he wants to wipe Israel off the map…”
At that point a female voice, off camera, is heard saying, “Shimon, I’m going to bring you a cup of coffee.” Peres looks up at his assistant with relief and says, “Yes, yes.”
After you’ve had a laugh, read this ominous story out today in Newsweek about Israel’s increasing anxiety about the Iranian nuclear program and the likelihood of Iranian retaliation against America if the IAF strikes, which would open up a third front on the war on terror when the military is struggling to manage two. The nutroots will seize on the detail that one of Cheney’s former advisors claims he’s been pushing Israel to attack but the story emphasizes that the consensus against an attack within the administration is firmer than thought. The real fear is Israel forcing the U.S.’s hand with an attack of their own. According to one Israeli source, “Two thousand seven is the year you determine whether diplomatic efforts will stop Iran. If by the end of the year that’s not working, 2008 becomes the year you take action.” Iran’s taking it seriously, too:
In Iran, preparations for war are underway. “Crisis committees” have been established in each government ministry to draw up contingency plans, according to an Iranian official who asked for anonymity in order to speak freely. The regime has ordered radio and TV stations to prepare enough prerecorded programming to last for months, in case the studios are sabotaged or employees are unable to get to work. The ministries of electricity and water are working on plans to maintain service under war conditions. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also sent envoys to reach out to European negotiators recently, in the hopes of heading off further sanctions or military action.
Read the whole thing and note the passage in which Ephraim Sneh gives a Newsweek reporter a visual tour of what one atomic bomb used against Israel could do.
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terryannonline on September 23, 2007 at 1:09 PM
Welcome to our “New Middle East.”
Shy Guy on September 23, 2007 at 1:31 PM
One nuke into Israel would most certainly destroy it but the same is true, to a lesser extent, of the US. An electromagnetic pulse from a small nuke launched from international waters into the atmosphere over the US would pretty much put us in the electronic stone age like flipping off a switch.
Guardian on September 23, 2007 at 1:35 PM
It’s not a big deal. Such an EMP would would destroy circuit boards that are in operation at that time. US warehouses are full of unsold computers and parts to replenish most of the civil infrastructure within days.
Most professional IT operations keep their own replacement parts as well.
Niko on September 23, 2007 at 2:04 PM
America is not the shield for Israel. God is the shield and protector of Israel; He may use America or any other force to accomplish it.
The very existence of Israel is proof that Allah is not God; if the Jews and (adopted into God’s family) Christians are indeed the people of God, that means that Islam is false.
Let them rage. Let Amid-a-jihad shake his fist at God. Let him threaten to destroy the people God calls His special possession. When God shakes His fist at them, there won’t be enough DNA left to fill the pocket of a “Members Only” jacket.
Doug on September 23, 2007 at 2:24 PM
Sounds like Israel is serious, especially when you consider that they had the guts to take out a high interest target in Syria. That alone carried quite a risk. Sanctions alone are not likely to stop Iran from completing their nuclear bomb(s). Helping Iranians to take their own country back would probably take too long too. Looks like everyone is hunkering down for war. We may find out sooner rather than later.
Ordinary1 on September 23, 2007 at 2:51 PM
We can only hope the Israels time their attack to coincide with the next visit from our moveon/democrat traders.
leanright on September 23, 2007 at 3:13 PM
Read it, and I don’t believe Sneh was being truthful for a moment. Why would he give a worldwide news outlet the idea that one bomb in a specific place would utterly destroy Israel’s infrastructure? That was a lure.
MadisonConservative on September 23, 2007 at 3:14 PM
May I suggest that it is apparent that the grasp of EMP effects are widely misconceived around here?
I don’t mean to minimize the problems, but ‘instant stone age’ across the country?… not likely. Regionally, and for a few weeks, Yeah, that is likely.
Electronic devices On or Off; Doesn’t really matter at close range. A power surge through the electrical lines would extend the problem to machines that are plugged in, whether On or Off.
The range of significant effects of an EMP from a smallish nuclear device is not that great. A few tens of miles from an atmospheric burst unless it is a REALLY big one. A few miles at worst from a small ground burst. (Now, six or eight small, geographically well spaced and well timed atmospheric bursts, and the civilian population will be well and truly screwed; No American Idol for you for months.)
Easy to shield electronic devices even in close range to an EMP: Google ‘faraday cage’.
More problematic is the electronic ignition / computer control of vehicles. While metal bodied vehicles are a natural ~85% faraday cage, if your hood is open, or you have a fiberglass or plastic body, you probably aren’t going to be driving anywhere soon. If you have an old car with non-electronic ignition you will be cruising in style (If you can get any gas).
Pretty much all of our military C&C electronics gear is shielded. Probably lose about 10-15% of that within very close EMP range.
Shielding of critical civilian electrical / electronic infrastructure is not very good. Probably lose 50-60% of that within range…. Take a few weeks to get back up to about 80%. A year to get back to 100%.
(Unless they take out Taiwan too, and the ChiComs refuse to sell us replacement parts)
While I would like to see more preparations on the civilian side of things to shield and harden infrastructure against EMP…. That is about the LEAST of our vulnerabilities from the islamics.
LegendHasIt on September 23, 2007 at 3:53 PM
In the above, I was speaking of an EMP in America.
Israel, being geographically tiny by comparison, a small EMP could have trans-national effects…. But by the same token, I have a feeling that their infrastructure is less vulnerable than ours.
LegendHasIt on September 23, 2007 at 4:42 PM
“Newsweek”? The most left-leaning rag of any publication claiming to be neutral/MSM? Who cares what they think?
jgapinoy on September 23, 2007 at 8:13 PM
HEY! SOMEBODY GET THE PRIME MINISTER A COFFEE AND A BAGEL. Stat!
Mojave Mark on September 23, 2007 at 10:26 PM