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Earlier version of Sajjil missile
Alex Fishman, reporting in today’s Yediot, writes that according to U.S. intelligence, the target of attack at the Iranian Revolutionary Guard missile base was the nation’s most advanced missile prototypes the Sajjil and Ghadr F. I’d been reporting that the missile test involved the Shehab 3 missile. They were also likely damaged, but the target was the more advanced prototypes. A significant part of the entire facility was destroyed, which could be a significant setback for the overall program.
The new version was lighter than previous ones since it was made from aluminum. This gave it the advantage of a longer range since the same amount of fuel would carry it farther. The missile tested had a 2,000km range and the designers were preparing one that would reach 2,500km, which is in range of all of Israel.
I imagine that Fishman’s source would have to be either in the Mossad or IDF. Clearly anyone having knowledge of the specific type of weapon tested would also have an interest in destroying it and the individual responsible for overseeing the project. Which draws the circle even tighter around the Mossad as the culprit.
Tags: iran-attack, mossad
Having first-hand familiarity with the Mossad’s plans to effectively hinder the Iranian nuclear effort through covert operations probably played a significant role in Dagan’s unprecedented choice to go public against Barak-cum-Bibi’s (far-riskier) alternative of an overt military attack.
A military attack might have eliminated at least some covert opportunities the Mossad had created under Dagan’s command.
Hmmm…Where is the evidence that Dagan’s fabled covert operations succeeded? Indeed, Ari Shavit in Haaretz, himself well informed, suggests that Dagan had failed.
Could it not be said that Dagan was throwing a smokescreen to protect his failed legacy?
A reasonable guess is that the attack this post describes had something to do with the institute Dagan was heading while this operation was being prepared.
He failed in the al Mabouh episode. But succeeded (in Mossad terms) with Stuxnet & other Iran sabotage.
Firstly, you don’t know that. The attack could have been carried out by the US. Notwithstanding, Richard’s ‘scoop’ and all that.I
Second, it could have been an accident as the Iranians are saying, though there is merit in assuming that they are lying about this. Not because they are Iranians, that would be discriminatory, but for tactical reasons.
Third, assuming Richard is correct and it was the US with Israel or Israel on its own: the current head of Mossad has been in his position for long enough in order for the mission to be planned on his watch and not Dagan’s.
Fourth, and this is not to contradict what I wrote above, although the attack has had some success (though we cannot be sure that it achieved all its aims) I would hazard a guess that it will not have dealt a mortal blow to Iranian efforts to develop a nuclear weapon and/or load it on to a missile.
“… the current head of Mossad has been in his position for long enough in order for the mission to be planned on his watch” – Not in real life. You must’ve watched too many James Bond films.
“it will not have dealt a mortal blow to Iranian efforts” – Neither would B&B’s military alternative. At this stage, probably nothing would.
One needs not be a Dagan (or Mossad, for that matter) fan to see the obvious.
My take: This was an accident and everything that is fed to Richard on this issue is an information operation by Mossad.
My source has nothing whatever to do with Mossad & in fact has provided stories quite damaging to Mossad. I assure u that the Mossad has little use for me & I’m a pain in their neck as it should be.
Some hoaxsters have attempted to feed me stories, who may or may not have been doing the bidding of Israeli intelligence operatives. But those were easy to separate fr the real thing & except in one case not published. My source had nothing to do with the hoaxsters. Besides, he has a remarkable track record for accuracy as well.
Sorry but it’s u who’s off your meds & I’d ask you to respect comment rules here which prohibit even jocular references to people’s mental health or condition.
idf or mozzy mossad are not brave enough to fight Iranian face to face and have to act like cacaroches. Coward zionists do not even show their ugly murderous faces when the Iranian navy goes back and forth to Syria right trough the Suez Canal and much closer to the occupied territory than those unarmed small civilian boats in international waters that israill attacks all the time. The Ignorant Deranged Freaks (IDF) only attacks the defenseless and the weaponless.
Debka say that it was Stuxnet that sabotaged a computer simulation.
I still wouldn’t discount the possibility of an accident. With all these latest threats of military action from Israel, the Iranians are probably scrambling with their long range missile program, haste can lead to serious accidents.
You have factual errors.
2000km range already covers the whole of israel, so they don’t need 2500km.
The distance from Tehran in the center of Iran to all of Israel is 1500-1700km.
Open Google Earth please and check it yourself.
The range & description of the missile’s ability to hit Israel is taken directly from other media articles. As I’m neither a geographer or cartographer, I would never have added that information on my own.
Read the latest on whether it was an accident or sabotage. I tended to think that it was sabotage, but now I am not sure:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2011/11/news-report-guard-general-killed-in-blast-was-testing-new-ballistic-missile.html
I don’t think your Teheran Bureau report contradicts what Fishman wrote. Clearly they were testing advanced missiles as the IRG is confirming in yr rpt. That would make such an attack even more attractive if they could also kill Modhadam which they did. What I’m wondering is whether there’s any history of such accidents that were clearly accidental & not sabotage.