Last weekend saw widespread reports in the mainstream
media that the United States will be ready to launch a
missile attack on Iran's nuclear facilities as soon as
early this month, perhaps "from 4 a.m. until 4 p.m.
on April 6."
An AP
report printed in the Jerusalem Post, amongst others,
stated on Sunday that Russian news agency RIA Novosti
reported that Russian intelligence sources say the US
has devised a plan to attack several targets in Iran,
and an assault could be carried out by launching missiles
from fighter jets and warships stationed in the Persian
Gulf.
Those who work in and frequently read the
alternative media will recognise that the mainstream has
finally picked up on a report from a Russian journalist,
written weeks ago, which was first exposed in the US and
the UK by sites such as Rense.com, Infowars and What Really
Happened.
Andrei Uglanov, in the Moscow weekly "Argumenty
Nedeli", wrote that an attack is slated to last for
twelve hours from 4 AM until 4 PM local time. Friday is
a holiday in Iran. In the course of the attack, code named
Operation Bite, about 20 targets are marked for
bombing; the list includes uranium enrichment facilities,
research centers, and laboratories.
Citing Russian military experts close to
the Russian General Staff, Uganov stated that the first
reactor at the Bushehr nuclear plant, where Russian engineers
are working, is supposed to be spared from destruction.
The US attack plan reportedly calls for the Iranian air
defense system to be degraded, for numerous Iranian warships
to be sunk in the Persian Gulf, and the for the most important
headquarters of the Iranian armed forces to be wiped out.
Uglanov's article was re-issued by Russian
outlet RIA-Novosti, who sought verification from retired
Russian Colonel General, Leonid Ivashov.
Ivashov confirmed its essential features
in a March 21 interview, stating "I have no doubt
that there will be an operation, or more precisely a violent
action against Iran...We have drawn the unmistakable conclusion
that this operation will take place... Most probably there
will be no ground attack, but rather massive air attacks
with the goal of annihilating Iran's capacity for military
resistance, the centers of administration, the key economic
assets, and quite possibly the Iranian political leadership,
or at least part of it,"
Ivashov is now the Vice President of the
Moscow Academy for Geopolitical Sciences.
The AP and the Jerusalem Post, however, failed to mention
the retired General's comments, instead simply stating
"The Russian Defense Ministry rejected the claims
of an imminent attack as myths."
Other reports also released last weekend
suggest that the attack is going ahead but not until the
Summer. Israel's military intelligence chief, Major-General
Amos Yadlin also told
the Israeli cabinet Sunday that Iran is making defensive
preparations for what it fears will be a U.S. military
attack this summer.
Whether it be this Friday or this Summer,
both Russian and Israeli intelligence sources agree that
there is going to be an attack.
