Israel announces plans to strike Iranian nuclear plants

Dick Cheney seems to agree

Condi Rice seems unaware of plans

George Bush has made no comment

Two sources:  Timesonline (London),  and Haaretz (Israel)  have today released stories concerning detailed  Israeli plans for an air attack upon Iranian nuclear facilities. See an earlier diary  by Vsredthought, dealing primarily with the historical precedent of Israel's attack on Iraq's Ossirik reactor and possible/likely present targets in Iran.

From the Timesonline:

ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans for a combined air and ground attack on targets in Iran if diplomacy fails to halt the Iranian nuclear programme.
The inner cabinet of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, gave "initial authorisation" for an attack at a private meeting last month on his ranch in the Negev desert.

Israeli forces have used a mock-up of Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment plant in the desert to practise destroying it. Their tactics include raids by Israel's elite Shaldag (Kingfisher) commando unit[ground forces?] and airstrikes by F-15 jets from 69 Squadron, using bunker-busting bombs to penetrate underground facilities.

The plans have been discussed with American officials who are said to have indicated provisionally that they would not stand in Israel's way if all international efforts to halt Iranian nuclear projects failed*.

From Haaretz:

Ephraim Sneh, a member of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and a retired general, said on Sunday that Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons is a threat to Israel's very existence, but said Israeli military action would be a last resort.
Sneh spoke after the London's Sunday Times reported Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's security cabinet gave "initial authorization" last month to a plan for an air and ground attack on Iran if diplomatic efforts do not halt the Islamic republic's nuclear program.
.........
Sneh told Army Radio that the United States will play an important role in how the situation is resolved.

He added that Israel remains hopeful the international community will reach a diplomatic solution with the Islamic republic.

"The Iranian threat is an existential threat to the state Israel. Military action is the very last resort," he said. "We have to ensure that other steps, diplomatic steps are carried out first. Here the United States plays a leading role and I hope it will fill it."

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was not aware of the Israeli plans.

"The president of course doesn't take any options off the table, but I think he's made very clear that, from our point of view, this is a problem that can be resolved diplomatically," she said on the CBS "Face the Nation" program.

And Vice President Dick Cheney said this  about Iran 03/11/05 on Fox News:

...if Iran doesn't live up to its "international obligations to forego a nuclear program, then obviously we'll have to take stronger action."

Cheney made the comment in an interview with Fox News on the same day the U.S.-backed economic incentives that three European nations want to offer Iran in exchange for giving up any nuclear weapons ambitions.

Cheney told Fox News that Iran doesn't need an "enrichment process." He said the U.S. is concerned the Iranians want an "enrichment process so that they can enrich fuel far beyond what's required for a civilian reactor to levels that would give them the capability to build a weapon."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had urged Tehran to take advantage of the opportunity. Part of the agreement with the U.S., the U.K., France and Germany is that Iran could face U.N. Security Council sanctions if it doesn't meet its international commitments.

No official  word from Dubya so far, apparently.

So is this just a little Carrot-and-Stick diplomacy, or a serious plan on Israel's part that the United States is cooperating with.  

Who is driving the policy here?  Cheney,  Bush, or Sharon?