Administration sabotaging Israeli attack on Iran

Benny Avni:

A campaign of press leaks, led by some Obama administration insiders, is harming Israel’s and America’s ability to act militarily to end Iran’s nuclear quest. 

Washington officials and sympathetic media plainly intend the campaign to erode public support for a military attack on Iran’s nuclear installations. But reports on Israeli military methods, capabilities and alliances are actively aiding the Iranian regime. 

You may have seen some of the headlines: “Congress Sez Iran Could Recover From Israeli Attack Within Six Months”; “Hundreds of Americans Will Die in the Aftermath of Iran Attack”; “Israel’s Secret Staging Ground for Attacking Iran.”

Israelis now believe that this public, noisy campaign has replaced an earlier (and much quieter) attempt by top Obama officials to talk directly to Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu and his inner security circle, and persuade them to scrap any plan for an air attack on Iran’s nuclear installations at least until after Nov. 6. 

Dennis Ross, until recently Obama’s top Iran adviser, told me yesterday he didn’t believe the administration is conducting an “orchestrated” leaking campaign. But he acknowledged that “some individuals, who don’t want Israel to do this,” may be using leaks for their purposes.

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There is more including some specifics on potential operational details of an attack.  This kind of thing is one reason why Israel is wise not to give this administration a heads up on the timing of an attack.