Ethan Bronner in yesterday's New York Times writes ["Israel Senses Bluffing in Iran’s Threats of Retaliation"] about the calculations of certain decision-makers in Israel:
“Take every scenario of confrontation and attack by Iran and its proxies and then ask yourself, ‘How would it look if they had a nuclear weapon?’ ” a senior official said. “In nearly every scenario, the situation looks worse...” No issue in Israel is more fraught than the debate over the wisdom and feasibility of a strike on Iran. Some argue that even a successful military strike would do no more than delay any Iranian nuclear weapons program, and perhaps increase Iran’s determination to acquire the capability... Speaking of the former leaders of Libya and Iraq, he [Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, chief of the IDF’s planning division] said, “Who would have dared deal with Qaddafi or Saddam Hussein if they had a nuclear capability? No way..." When a senior Indian officer was visiting recently, he was asked why the Indians had done so little in response to the 2008 attacks in Mumbai. “When the other side has a nuclear capability and is prepared to use it, you think twice,” the officer replied, referring to Pakistan.
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