Israel's calculus on Iran: Shaped by leaders' youth in daring commando unit?

[hist2004]

Israel's calculus on Iran: Shaped by leaders' youth in daring commando unit?

Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Defense minister served as brothers in arms in Sayeret Matkal, a sort of Ivy League for future Israeli leaders. Now they face a grave decision on Iran.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middl...-commando-unit

[Kaplanr]

I don't buy it. Both men are also technocrats and Bibi has been out of the military far longer than he was in it. Barak less so because he became a professional soldier and CoS. They are both political animals and have made calculating (though not just political ramifications,) part and parcel of their decision making. Bibi is a shade more ideological than Barak, but is entirely rational. The calculus will be cause and affect, likelihood of x level of damage v. Israel's ability to succeed without critically damaging the AF (if that's the tool that's used) or subjecting the civilian population to y level of retaliation.

I only hope they have better information at their disposal than what is constantly bandied around the internet.

[hist2004]

Israel knows that Iran’s economy is in turmoil. On December 31th as part of a 662 billion dollar defense authorization bill, Obama signed into
law one of the most crippling economic sanctions’ on Iran to date. It’s designed to hurt Iran’s Central Bank. The Stuxnet virus to damage Iran’s
centrifuges and the use of Jundallah operatives to assassinate their nuclear scientists along with the threat of a military strike on their nuclear
facilities have kept Iran on the defensive. In October, the rial was trading for 11,500 to buy one US dollar. After the sanctions’ were signed it
quickly went to 23,000 rials for one US dollar. The Iranian government is mismanaging their economy. Internal combustion is a very real
possibility for the Iranian government; only a few nations intelligence agencies know the true calculus.

[JGXL836]

Both Netanyahu and Barak already agreed on something, that's rare to see. This alliance is ready to lead Israel to war before our own elections.

[MUSHROOM123]

The US should impose very tough sanctions on the Iranian oil industry. The Americans hesitate to do so because the oil prices will jump significantly...if Obama wants to prevent a war,he should do that.