OBloodyhell Says: You also presume Israeli intelligence isn’t up to the task of knowing where their bombs will do the most good.

You heavily over-estimate the Israeli Intelligence capability – the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War is stark testimony to that fact.

Regardless.

Iran’s nuclear production industry is both widely dispersed and heavily bunkered. Despite the best Israeli intelligence they do not have the technology to effect it by striking preemptively – nor do they have the international cover to launch such an attack. Much less the fact that a primitive 20 kt yield U-235 gun fission device can be hidden anywhere.

But, to answer your question:

how do you figure they’re going to do that without attacking directly?

Easy, other than as a desperate response to actionable intelligence of an imminent threat, Israel will not attack. They’ve already calibrated the futility of such an action. Israeli overtures to the contrary are designed to provoke an international response to isolate Iran – that is Israel’s best and only hope.

IAEA secret report: Iran worked on nuclear warhead’Secret annexe’ to UN nuclear inspection agency report reveals Iran has ‘sufficient information’ to make a nuclear weapon
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/18/iran-nuclear-warhead-iaea-report/print

Yes. Although foreign policy may not be as important as domestic policy in the eyes of the voters it still plays a part in the voters’ overall perception of any President and so far Obama is not doing so well. In this area there are some troublesome chickens that may come home to roost in time for the 2012 elections.

For an excellent summary of Obama’s foreign policy failures to date see the below by David Frum:

http://tinyurl.com/krhurm

… Israel is incapable of launching a debilitating attack.

Israel may be able to set Iran’s timetable back a year or two. Time will tell but the Israeli intelligence agencies, the Mossad, the Shin Bet and the Aman, are known as three of the finest, if not the finest in the world. Israel does not lack for military hardware. Keep in mind that there are some Middle Eastern nations, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Kuwait and Turkey, that may not want Iran to nuke up and could be of assistance to the Israelis.

The real question in my mind is whether the Israelis will strike, not that they could strike. There are many factors in play but if I had to bet I would have to place my money on an Israeli strike.

LOL “overestimate”.

LOL, and how do you figure they’re going to do that without attacking directly?

You also presume Israeli intelligence isn’t up to the task of knowing where their bombs will do the most good.

Not to suggest I consider all this GOOD, mind you, but you vastly underestimate the direct threat that Iran represents.

Israel’s problem is that no matter WHAT happens, their response will be “inappropriate” to the antiZionists.

Let me translate:

“BAD Ahminajad!!

BAD!!

BAD!!

Ok, we’re done.”

Once Iran has the bomb all they need do is provoke Israel into attacking first. Let us suppose that Israel has ten, twenty or even a hundred or so weapon-ready nuclear devices. Iran is as large as the Western United States – it is enormous. Israel could expend its entire arsenal and still not put a dent in Iran’s ability to counter-attack.

Iran need only launch, drop, drive or float one primitive Hirsoshima sized “gun” fission weapon into Tel Aviv and it’s game over.

The only hope is to prevent Iran from getting the bomb.

Fat chance. The U.S. won’t attack and Israel is incapable of launching a debilitating attack. The only hope is to sway the Russians and the Chinese and isolate Iran, then place Israel under our protective umbrella. The Democrats think that the persona of Obama will make it so.

They are complete fools.

What did Sir Winston Churchill say? Ah!

“Doom marches on”