S. Arabia: We'll intercept any IAF aircraft en route to Iran

[Lucid]

More obstacles? Saudi Arabia has informed Israel that it would intercept any Air Force aircraft crossing its airspace en route to Iran, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Thursday.

The explicit message was transmitted via the United States, during talks with Obama administration officials in Jerusalem.

Senior Israeli officials have claimed that the Americans are leveraging the Saudi threat in an attempt to dissuade Israel from launching a unilateral offensive on Iran's nuclear facilities. Some sources estimate that Saudi Arabia, which is equipped with American-made fighter jets, would have allowed Israel to cross its airspace if the latter would have coordinated its military operation with the White House.

Meanwhile, The New York Times has claimed that Israel will prefer to use a direct route that passes over Jordan and Iraq. Foreign commentators have estimated that the Jordanians will turn a blind eye, yet others have said that Amman might consider the act a breach of its peace accord with Israel. Two other possible routes are over Turkey and Syria, or a longer route along the Red Sea.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...266427,00.html

[cricket55]

HHHmmm not so long ago did they not offer Israel the chance to fly over SA on their way to Iran? Perhaps they are becoming buddies.

[Poppycat]

Israel becoming more and more isolated in their neck of the woods, Bible prophecy playing out?

Praying for Israel.

[Robinbobbin]

Saudi Arabia has a military? I always just assumed our military handled their security for them.

[OnceWasLost]

HHHmmm not so long ago did they not offer Israel the chance to fly over SA on their way to Iran? Perhaps they are becoming buddies.

Shiites and Sunnis getting all chummy, not likely. IMO. Probably fear of helping Israel in the world of the "arab spring" where the radicals are on the march and the royals in SA are likely losing sleep over a number of things. Helping Israel would enrage the radicals within their country, the same country who gave us osama and what 12 or 13 of the hijackers from 9/11?

[SheltieMom]

Israel's defense minister is denying this report.

Israel has not received any messages from the U.S. about Saudi Arabia's intentions to intercept Israeli planes flying through its airspace en route to Iran, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Israel Radio on Thursday.

Barak was responding to earlier reports that Saudi Arabia had informed Israel, via a message sent to Washington, that it would intercept Israeli planes entering its airspace en route to an attack on Iran.

The defense minister denied that Israel had been informed of the Saudi intentions, but noted that "Saudi Arabia is a sovereign state that is permitted to act based on its own understanding."

Some Israeli officials believe the U.S. is trying to use the Saudi threat as a way to discourage Israel from launching an attack on Iran's nuclear sites.

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/news...le.php?id=5354

Saudi Arabia is part of the GCC ( along with Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Oman) and will most likely side with them on this issue. The Gulf states (Sheba and Dedan) are as concerned about Iran as the Israelis are. They know that Ahmadinejad is crazy. These are the guys that were urging the US to "cut the head off the snake" and attack Iran. The UAE ambassador recently urged the US the bomb Iranian nuclear sites. The UAE also recently recalled their ambassador to Iran. The Gulf states main interest is selling their oil and protecting their power. They are in a difficult area and walk a diplomatic tightrope but in the end they will do whatever is best for their bottom line. Dubai's police chief was recently making headlines because he expressed concern that Iran would try and take over the Gulf region for money & oil. He still has his job so we can only assume that the UAE rulers agree with him. The last thing they want is Shiite fanatics like Iran trying to take over. They can not come out wave Israeli flags because it would cause unrest in their countries. The best thing that they can do is secretly negotiate with Israel & the US and then just play the waiting game. Watching this whole saga unfold will be interesting to say the least.

[M4EVERHIS]

discussed this last night. (Hischannel.com)

Please note that "Some Israeli officials believe the U.S. is trying to use the Saudi threat as a way to discourage Israel from launching an attack on Iran's nuclear sites" even though it is 'officially' denied.

Couple that with the US telling the PA to wait until after the elections to seek UN statehood smells of more shenanigans.

I don't feel comfortable with our ships off of Israel's coast with "O" in power. We know "O" is no friend of Israel. Once reelected he will make Putin happy with our foreign policy and loss of sovereignty and power.(Remember the open mic?) But right now, he needs to lay low to get the 4 more years to complete the objectives and he needs the Jewish vote and money.

[Tall Timbers]

Saudi Arabia has a military? I always just assumed our military handled their security for them.

The country is full of princes and they're the ones who get to be fighter pilots and whatnot. Their military is a joke, to be honest. The non-princes in the military live in fear of pissing a prince off...

Once, while in Saudi Arabia on military duty, a Saudi Captain intimated to me (after I asked him if he needed help because he looked like he did) that he had a meeting to attend at the headquarters where I was currently at, but he didn't know where the meeting was. I was a Major at the time. I stopped what I was doing and took all the time that was necessary to find out where he needed to go and lead him there. I won't ever forget the look in his eyes that both spoke of graditude and a little disbelief that a senior officer would show him kindness. Folks in those countries have it very hard.

[vbf]

I don't believe this for a second. They have to say these kinds of things to keep themselves in the good graces, relatively speaking, of others in the ME. A nuclear Iran scares the Saudi's just as much as anyone and they surely don't want that to happen. When Israel does attack Iran's nuclear sites via Saudi air space they'll claim that the IDF disabled their radar...yada yada yada.

[Homesick777]

As of 2 years ago the Israeli's were setting up a military base on Saudi soil. To my knowledge, this has not changed. SA leaders fear a nuclear Iran as much as they do the Muslim Brotherhood. What the Saudi's say for public consumption is not what they say in private, so we must discern carefully. Anything at all that disrupts the status quo upsets their cart full of dollars. That will never be permitted at ANY cost.

There are thousands of stories about the military base. I just grabbed the first one I came across.

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=179610

[cricket55]

[QUOTE=M4EVERHIS;2277990]discussed this last night. (Hischannel.com)

Please note that "Some Israeli officials believe the U.S. is trying to use the Saudi threat as a way to discourage Israel from launching an attack on Iran's nuclear sites" even though it is 'officially' denied.

Couple that with the US telling the PA to wait until after the elections to seek UN statehood smells of more shenanigans.

I don't feel comfortable with our ships off of Israel's coast with "O" in power. We know "O" is no friend of Israel. Once reelected he will make Putin happy with our foreign policy and loss of sovereignty and power.(Remember the open mic?) But right now, he needs to lay low to get the 4 more years to complete the objectives and he needs the )

If "O" gets back into office we should be very scared period.

[Verisimilitude]

[QUOTE=cricket55;2278128]

discussed this last night. (Hischannel.com)

Please note that "Some Israeli officials believe the U.S. is trying to use the Saudi threat as a way to discourage Israel from launching an attack on Iran's nuclear sites" even though it is 'officially' denied.

Couple that with the US telling the PA to wait until after the elections to seek UN statehood smells of more shenanigans.

I don't feel comfortable with our ships off of Israel's coast with "O" in power. We know "O" is no friend of Israel. Once reelected he will make Putin happy with our foreign policy and loss of sovereignty and power.(Remember the open mic?) But right now, he needs to lay low to get the 4 more years to complete the objectives and he needs the )

If "O" gets back into office we should be very scared period.

We haven't been given a spirit of fear. What we have been given is a neck that is pretty flexible, making it easy for us to look up!