Once again, a CSIS report designates Turkey as the optimum route for a possible Israeli attack on Iran

[propaganda alert]



Three weeks before the US President Barack Obama’s visit to Ankara in April 2009, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published a report which claimed that Turkey would be the optimum route for a possible Israeli attack on Iran.

A new CSIS report released in March 2010 makes exactly the same point.

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1) Once again, a CSIS report designates Turkey as the optimum route for a possible Israeli attack on Iran (23 March 2010)

2) Israeli army chief Gabi Ashkenazi visits Turkey to hold talks on Iran’s nuclear program (15 March 2010)

from the archives:

3) Pentagon offers Patriot anti-ballistic missiles to Turkey (September 2009)

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 http://csis.org/files/publication/100323_Options_todealwith_Iran.pdf


excerpts from: Options in Dealing with Iran’s Nuclear Program

by Anthony H. Cordesman and Abdullah Toukan, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 23 March 2010


“We conclude that a military strike by Israel against Iranian Nuclear Facilities is possible and the optimum route would be along the Syrian-Turkish border then over a small portion of Iraq then into Iran, and back the same route. […]

The flight route [along Turkey’s border with Syria] would also be ideal for the F-15’s and the F-16’s to do aerial refueling from airborne tankers, on ingress and egress [i.e. entry and exit] from Iran. […] Refueling can [also] be done [on a] temporary landing strip, along the Syrian, Turkish and Northern Iraq region […]

Israel could again utilize its EW [Electronic Warfare] capabilities [to disable the air defense systems of Iran and Syria] as during the [bombing] raid [through Turkey’s airspace] on Dayr az-Zawr, Syria, on September, 2007. […]

If the Israeli aircraft do actually fly over Turkey that would constitute a clear Turkish – Israel and even U.S. conspiracy to attack Iran, so the Political risks could be high with Turkey. Operationally, […] the risk from Turkey could be of medium level if Turkey deems it necessary to react militarily.”


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 http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=171037


excerpts from: Ashkenazi holds security talks in Turkey

by Yaakov Katz, Jerusalem Post, 15 March 2010


[Israeli Army Chief] Gabi Ashkenazi flew to Ankara on Monday to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Gen. Ilker Basbug. […]

Ashkenazi discussed regional security issues with a focus on Iran’s nuclear program as well as the rearmament of Hizbullah in southern Lebanon. […]

“This visit is on the military-strategic level, not a diplomatic level. The Turks are not hiding it and neither are we,” [said Israel Defense Forces spokesman Avi Benayahu].


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from the archives:


 http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2009/Turkey_09-44.pdf


excerpt from: Turkey – PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 Guided Missiles

US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), 9 September 2009


“Today the [US] Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Turkey of 13 PATRIOT Fire Units, 72 PATRIOT Advanced Capability (PAC-3) missiles, four PAC-3 Lot Validation Missiles, 197 MIM-104E PATRIOT Guidance Enhanced Missiles-T (GEM-T), four MIM-104E GEM-T Lot Validation Missiles, five PATRIOT Digital Missiles, five Anti-Tactical Missiles and other related support and equipment. The estimated cost is $7.8 billion.”


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related links:


President Gul: Iran’s ultimate aspiration is to acquire nuclear weapons (29 March 2010)

 http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2010/03/29/turkey%E2%80%99s-president-gul-iran%E2%80%99s-ultimate-aspiration-is-to-acquire-nuclear-weapons/


NATO chief: Iran’s Shahab-3 missiles will put Turkey, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria within reach (27 March 2010)

 http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/nato-chief-weapons-of-mass-destruction-threat-is-real-and-growing/


US official: Turkey has international responsibilities that extend beyond its immediate neighbourhood (18 March 2010)

 http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/us-official-turkey-has-international-responsibilities-that-extend-beyond-its-immediate-neighbourhood/


Israeli army chief visits Turkey to hold talks on Iran’s nuclear program (16 March 2010)

 http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/israeli-army-chief-visits-turkey-to-hold-talks-on-iran%E2%80%99s-nuclear-program/


Israeli minister warns Turkey: Iran’s nuclear programme would pose a danger for the whole world (November 2009)

 http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/israeli-minister-to-turkey-iran%E2%80%99s-nuclear-programme-would-pose-a-danger-for-the-whole-world/


Pentagon offers Patriot missiles to Turkey (September 2009)

 http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/obama-president-bush-was-right-that-irans-ballistic-
missile-program-poses-a-significant-threat/


US Ambassador to Turkey: Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons is a great danger to Turkey (June 2009)

 http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/us-ambassador-iran%E2%80%99s-pursuit-of-nuclear-weapons-is-a-great-danger-to-turkey/


Obama: No one in the Middle East is served by Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions, least of all Turkey (April 2009)

 http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/obama-irans-nuclear-and-ballistic-missile-activity-poses-a-real-threat-to-its-neighbors/

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