Former General: "Israel" Can΄t Defeat Iran

Source: Al-Manar TV, 19-12-2008
Former "Israeli" National Security Council Chairman Giora Eiland has warned against an "Israeli" strike against Iran. He says "Israel" does not possess military capabilities that would enable the 'Jewish' (Zionist) State to completely destroy Tehran's nuclear program.
Speaking at a conference of the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, Eiland says "Israel" cannot defeat Iran's regime via a military operation.
"To our regret, there is no 'Israeli' military capability that would enable us to reach a situation whereby Iran's nuclear capabilities are destroyed without the possibility of recovery," he said. "The maximal achievement that 'Israel' can accomplish is to disrupt and suspend Iran's nuclear program." "The million dollar question" is the extent of a sufficient suspension period, Eiland said.
The former general said that "Israel" "cannot defeat Iran," adding that an "Israeli" military operation or aerial strike cannot force Iran to capitulate or end its nuclear development efforts.
Eiland added that any operation against Iran would require "Israeli" coordination with the United States, mostly in strategic terms.
"It is completely clear that if an 'Israeli' operation in Gaza requires certain level of coordination with the US, this is certainly the case with an operation in Iran, where the implications beyond 'Israel' are of course far reaching," he said.
The former general emphasized that the primary risk in undertaking a military operation against Iran is its potential failure. "If you undertake a failed military operation, you pay three-fold: firstly, you didn't succeed in hitting what you wanted, secondly, you've hurt your deterrence capabilities, and thirdly, you're perceived as the aggressor," he said.
"Iran is not Iraq of 1981 and not even Syria of 2007. It is likely that an attack on Iran would garner a widespread response not merely by Iran, but also other nations in the region," he said. An additional danger, added Eiland, is that Iran would attack not only "Israeli" targets but also American targets in the region.
The window of opportunity for an attack on Iran, as perceived by Eiland, is "short-lived." He predicted such a possibility would be feasible between the summers of 2009 and 2011. This timetable will necessarily influence the next government's decision on which actions to take, he said.