Israeli Air Force Chief: We
Are Ready to Deal With Iran
Nov. 18, 2008
JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM
POST
"We are ready to do whatever is
demanded of us" in order to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, IAF
commander Maj. -Gen. Ido Nehushtan told German magazine Der Spiegel
in an interview published Tuesday.
Nehushtan told the magazine that
whether a military strike is eventually decided upon is a political question
and not an issue of Israel's military capabilities.
A strike against Iran's nuclear
facilities "is a political decision," the IAF commander said, "but if I
understand it correctly, all options are on the table… The Air Force is a
very robust and flexible force. We are ready to do whatever is demanded of
us."
When asked by the paper whether
the Israeli military was able to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, which
are spread around the country and partly located underground, Nehushtan
said, "Please understand that I do not want to get into details. I can only
say this: It is not a technical or logistical question."
Nehushtan said the cutting edge
capabilities of the IDF in the region were not only a derivative of the
advanced technologies it uses.
"Modern technology is one thing,
but the biggest advantage we have is our soldiers and officers. Israel is a
small country. We neither have a big population nor natural resources. Our
biggest asset is our human resources. And it is the Air Force that makes
best use of it," he said.
Nehushtan then addressed the new
reality in Lebanon since the integration of Hizbullah into the government in
Beirut several months ago.
"Hizbullah has been part of the
Lebanese government since this spring. It is not a fringe terror
organization - it is supported by the state. Militarily, Hizbullah is
stronger than the regular Lebanese army. If they attack us, we might react
differently [to how we did in the 2006 Second Lebanon War]," he said.
Asked about deploying missile
defense systems to protect Israelis from the Kassam rockets and mortar
shells fired from Gaza, as well as the Iranian threat of ballistic missiles,
the IAF commander described Israel's huge investments in missile defense as
an "insurance policy."
"Each type of rocket requires a
different defense system. Up until today, only the Arrow System, is
functioning. It can intercept ballistic missiles. In order to defend
ourselves against the short-range rockets of Hamas and Hizbullah, we are
building the Iron Dome system. In response to the threat of medium-range
rockets, we are developing a system called David's Sling. This is all very
expensive. It is like an insurance policy: You pay a lot, even if nothing
happens. But if something then does happen, then you are satisfied with the
investment," he explained.