Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Iran's Windfall If Israel Actually Does Bomb Its Reactors

Iran is probably smiling when reading this news report and considering its win-win situation whether Israel bombs their reactors or not:
Iraq to pursue compensation for 1981 Israeli airstrike

The Iraqi government continues to seek redress for an Israeli airstrike against a 1981 Israeli airstrike against an Iraqi nuclear reactor, an Iraqi lawmaker said in remarks published Tuesday.


'Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs petitioned the United Nations and the UN Security Council to demand that Israel pay compensation ... for the 1981 bombing an (Iraqi) nuclear reactor,' Mohammed Naji Mohammed, a member of parliament with the United Iraqi Alliance coalition, told the al-Sabah newspaper.

Mohammed said the cabinet had on November 25 approved a plan to seek redress through diplomatic channels, and to form a 'neutral' committee to assess the value of the reparations it would seek.

The lawmaker is leading a campaign to seek billions of dollars in reparations for an Israeli airstrike on the Osiraq nuclear reactor, based, he said, on UN Security Council Resolution 487.

The resolution, passed in the wake of the attack, 'strongly condemns' Israel's airstrike against Iraq's Osiraq nuclear reactor in June 1981, and 'considers that Iraq is entitled to appropriate redress for the destruction it has suffered, responsibility for which has been acknowledged by Israel.'
I blogged about this a year ago when this idea was first broached. At the time, Meryl Yourish noted in the comments:
And then there are the reparations that Israel can demand for the missiles that landed in her country during the first Gulf War, as well as the payments made to the families of suicide bombers. I don't think Iraq will push this case any more than Egypt did.
Looks like after thinking about it for a year, Iraq is going to push ahead on this.
Considering the increased anti-Israel climate in the UN, who can blame them.

Iran is probably thinking the same way.

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3 comments:

Cory said...

On a somewhat more serious note, if Iran's reactors were bombed, the rulers of that state would probably rejoice. Nothing unites a people like mutual suffering and the feeling that they've been attacked. It makes no difference how much those conducting the bombing proclaim they are acting against the regime. Imagine if Iran were to attack Israel and claimed, oh no, we're only attacking the Zionist regime, we love the people of Israel.

My guess is that to assume that the people of Iran would unite to overthrow the regime if Iran were bombed is a serious miscalculation.

The troubling thing is, I'm not sure what other options exist.

Daled Amos said...

I imagine it puts Israel in a bit of an awkward situation--considering bombing Iran at a time that the population is protesting against the regime.

Anonymous said...

How can you say the "population" is protesting against the regime? There are many protestors, but the regime still has a lot of support. Besides, Israel won't dare to attack Iran, it's way too dangerous.