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Israeli attack on Iran: Easier said than done

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    A look at the challenges Israel would face in a strike on Iran

  • Duration 6:10
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If this happens what if Israel attacks Iran and that it happens soon.

Right now Israel is sending signs it it is running out of patience.

And here's what we do know over the weekend the United States and Britain publicly urging Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike.

And some officials -- they went even further suggesting that Israel's military would fail that I attack on Iran would be extremely difficult.

To start with Israel would have to strike Iran's four major nuclear sites and one is very -- -- thirty feet of concrete and another built into a mountain.

But that's not all the Israeli fighter jets would have to overcome all kinds of obstacles.

And what are they major general Bob scales joins us -- -- -- hi Greta.

-- before we talk about the apps goes I'm curious is it the Israelis seem to be talking right now so much about -- really hear about the possibility of striking -- -- -- and United States wants to talk more and much to do more sanctions let it sounds like there's two sets of intelligence gathering here 11 seems to -- worried that we're running out of time.

And the other one seems to say we have more time before.

We Edward but Iran with a nuclear weapon what.

Think a big differences threat I mean to Israel.

-- -- is a threat.

That that -- National violation to us it's -- more of a distant threat so I guess.

It but it but it if we can't think of we thought Iran had a nuclear weapon.

Tomorrow we would act faster.

By the fact that we're still doing sanctions and talk is that we think there's a -- -- -- I think there's a long runway via Israel must be thinking that there that it's happening much soon must have different judges because why they talk about it like in the next month or tips will probably.

A not so much because of the threat but frankly because of the conditions the weather is one thing also the fact that the a Iranians are working very hard to Harden the stuff even more and disperse it.

So the Iranians wanna strike are the Israelis want -- -- when the when the weather is right which means sometime in the spring the summer.

Are the what is -- difficulty.

The -- you US officials are making it sound like it's extremely difficult for the Israeli military to strike in -- goes nuclear all Sony's way.

It's a tough mission first of all the distances we're talking about a thousand miles in -- a thousand miles out.

That's a long way for -- -- strike.

Secondly is -- complexity of -- -- remember 1981 against the Iraqi nuclear facilities.

And 2007 against the Syrian groups that was those were strikes.

This is a campaign.

It's gonna take days maybe weeks.

Third is -- the enemies to fight back we're talking about.

An integrated air defense is third generation Soviet SA.

Three missiles and our F fourteens and F force that we sold the shop will put ups some resistance.

And I got to tell you alas when the thing that's most difficult is a nation to target the stuff is dispersed its -- and some of -- in urban areas.

It's multiple targets spread over a vast area it's not just striking a single reactor flight home.

Can we pennant at -- can and that we can Israel penetrate a down a nuclear facility that's under thirty feet of concrete.

Very difficult in the answers -- with what they have now.

Which leads us to really be important part of this whole deal is how much is United States willing to support Israel when they actually conduct is right we supported them -- 73 we supported the British in the Falklands.

We have a habit of supporting our allies who fight a sort of unilateral war the question is are we willing to give -- -- bombs.

The electronic warfare support the tanker support -- intelligence support and those other things that we can provided the Israelis that they can't.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- That's a big issue these planes are going to be heavily loaded with bunker busting bombs and other -- to ground and air to air weapons which because she -- create drag and forced -- to change that is.

Refuel from from aircraft as they both the end.

To the target and -- from the target and that's going to be that makes it a much much more complex operation than those of the -- fast and of course once in a major some -- has some fighting that's not saying they got to take -- the air force -- got to take up in the air defense and then they have to attack the targets and they have to attack the targets multiple times because these are very very tough targets.

Why do you think that mean this is made public all these obstacles discussion over the past 34 days a minute it almost seemed to me like the Obama administration was unsuccessful primarily so they wanna send a message publicly to Israel missing it seemed sort of peculiar that also -- -- public.

I think they're afraid is revisionist strike to -- I think the administration wants to give sections more time to work.

I think the administration thinks that they can probably talk the -- out of weaponized in their nuclear weapons program.

And you know we're fighting two wars -- we're fighting a war right now we just finished another one and I think the administration is extremely reluctant to participate in the third.

-- getting that intelligence to find out answers to some has Verdasco we've actually seen that recent history is their chance at the Israelis have intelligence that has different information we do in terms of how far along the Iran and service.

Really serious and and my sources tell me that the Iranian intelligence is actually far better than ours.

For reasons that we can't discuss on the air -- really windy and regulates you know you always have excellent intelligence but I think.

What's hit I think the big issue here's the timeline the Israelis -- -- soon we wanna give more time to see that the sanctions.

And that and that's what I think is the curious of why -- you know they they they don't -- Tel -- to go up in flames and so why they serve -- -- talking about now I think they have a sense of urgency and I fear I don't know but that they has some intelligence that we don't have that's just my wildcats.

-- just like ambassador Bolton said so if if Iran gets a nuclear weapons and in my opinion the whole thing standing between.

That having a nuclear weapon and not is a preemptive strike.

Then that changes the whole strategic complexion of the Middle -- and -- into an entirely different ball game and I believe in the long term this country will be threatened by.

General thank you fact that --

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