Sunday Times: Saudis to Let IAF Use Airspace for Iran Attack!

Sunday Times: Saudis to Let IAF Use Airspace for Iran Attack!

Hanan Awarekeh

05/07/2009 “The Saudis are very concerned about an Iranian nuclear bomb, even more than the Israelis.” These words were quoted by a former head of research in Israeli intelligence as telling a British Newspaper Sunday Times. Sunday Times has published a report in which it said that the Saudi Arabia would allow the Israeli Air Force jets to fly over the Arab kingdom in order to raid the Iranian nuclear sites adding that although there were no formal diplomatic relations, Mossad has maintained “working relations” with the Saudis, according to the report. So the UK paper report said that Saudi Arabia has agreed to turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Iran’s nuclear sites, adding that Mossad Director Meir Dagan held secret talks with Saudi officials earlier this year to discuss the possibility, and has briefed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the matter. “The Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israel Air Force flying through their airspace on a mission which is supposed to be in the common interests of both Israel and Saudi Arabia,” a diplomatic source was quoted in the newspaper as saying last week. Although the countries have no formal diplomatic relations, an Israeli defense source confirmed to the Sunday Times that Mossad maintained “working relations” with the Saudis. According to the report, recent riots in Iran following a presidential election and the instability in the country have underscored concerns among what it described as “moderate Sunni Arab states” that it may emerge as a belligerent nuclear power. Former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, who recently visited the Gulf, said it was “entirely logical” for the Israelis to use Saudi airspace. Bolton, who talked to several Arab leaders during his visit, added that “none of them would say anything about it publicly but they would certainly acquiesce in an overflight if the Israelis didn’t trumpet it as a big success.” According to Bolton, Arab states would condemn a raid when they spoke at the UN but would be privately relieved to see “the threat of an Iranian bomb” removed. The former American ambassador also referred to the Israeli strike on an alleged Syrian nuclear facility in 2007, adding that "to this day, the Israelis haven’t admitted the specifics but there’s one less nuclear facility in Syria . .

Israeli Submarine Enters Suez Canal for First Time

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05/07/2009 An Israeli submarine used the Suez Canal for the first time recently to get to military exercises in the Red Sea, a paper said on Sunday, adding the move was aimed as a message to arch-foe Iran. The Dolphine submarine entered the canal that connects the Mediterranean and the Red Seas during the day and was escorted by Egyptian navy vessels sometime in June, the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot said. Previously Israeli submarines rounded the whole of Africa to get to exercises in the Red Sea, Israel's biggest-selling newspaper said. The Israeli daily said that with the move "Egypt and Israel wanted to show their coordination in the face of Iran pursuing its nuclear program." No comment on the report was immediately available from either Israeli or Egyptian officials. Israel, widely considered to be the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear power with more than 200 nuclear heads, suspects Iran of trying to build atomic weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program, a charge Tehran has vehemently denied saying it is its right under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) while Israel is not a signatory for this treaty. New IAEA chief: No sign Iran Seeks Nuclear Arms 04/07/2009 The new head of the international watchdog Yukiya Amano stressed Friday that the International Atomic Agency’s documents contain no evidence to support claims that Iran is trying to gain ability to develop nuclear weapons. "I don't see any evidence in IAEA official documents about this," Yukiya Amano told Reuters in his first direct comment on Iran's nuclear program since his election.. Amano was elected director-general the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Thursday. With the official confirmation of his election on Thursday, the Japanese diplomat is now set to assume his post in December, succeeding Mohammed ElBaradei, who retires as director general after 12 years in office.