Put up or shut up. (Israeli intelligence and Iran)

"Scarlett, 59, is likley to be briefed by Meir Dagan, 63, the head of Mossad, on Israel’s latest information about the Iranian nuclear programme. It is understood that Israel has made a breakthrough in intelligence-gathering within Iran.

There is mounting concern in Israel that Iran’s nuclear capability may be far more advanced than was recognised in a declassified assessment by the US National Intelligence Estimate last December, which concluded that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons development programme in 2003 in response to international pressure.

One source claimed the new information was on a par with intelligence that led Israel to discover and then destroy a partly constructed nuclear reactor in Syria last September.

Israeli officials believe the US will revise its analysis of Iran’s programme. “We expect the Americans to amend their report soon,” a high-ranking military officer said last week."  Timesonline

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"It is understood that Israel has made a breakthrough in intelligence-gathering within Iran." 

Oh yeah?  Let's see it.  Out in the open where the ordinary people of the world can look at it.  No?  Prefer to use it in private where the politically appointed grandees of the world's intelligence communities can be bullied into accepting a lot of crap in the same way that happened before Iraq?  That's not intelligence.  That's just political bullying.

What could the Israelis possibly have?  Something grand from their little photography satellites?  Something spooky from HUMINT in Iran?  How could we possibly verify anything from their HUMINT ops in Iran?  Do they have something from the world banking or technical communities?  OK.  Let's see it.

"Sources and Methods?"  Ha Ha.  Do they really think that the security of their sources are worth another war to the rest of us? 

I can only imagine the pressure they have exerted on the British and American spooks to get them to accept your views.

Scarlett sounds remarkably like one of the bureaucratic whores who took over "The Circus" in Lecarre's books, but, I confess that I do not know him.   The Robin Hood legend is a major part of "The Matter of Britain."  {Arthur, etc.} (political science people should ignore this part.  It might interfere with your "clarity")  In the recent anachonistic, but fun, Robin Hood series on BBC America (perhaps they don't watch this kind of thing in Britain any longer), the legend is described as "lying at the heart of England."  I surely do hope that this is true. pl

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3867880.ece

Comments

[confusedponderer]

Andy,

I would think Israel would want the benefits it would reap from trade with its neighbors - trade that would be of immense benefit to Israel.

You are suggesting reason and motivation by rational self-interest on the part of Israel. I think this is misleading.

Probably the reason why it would not want trade with their Arab neighbours is simply because the Arabs have conditions to do that. That price might just be too high. Israeli politicians and a sizeable chunk of the Israeli electorate value the territorial integrity of (Greater) Israel, higher than trade with the Arabs. For a real zionist it is still about blood and soil. That doesn't leave much room for maneuver.

Sure, the Israelis want an end to terror and, eventually peace, but there is a limit beyond they are unwilling to go - and since Rabin that hasn't been very far. And when Rabin suggested to go further, he paid the ultimate price for his attempt.