International

Netanyahu ordered attack on Iran in 2011, asked military to be prepared within 15 days: Ex-Mossad Chief

Former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, in a television interview has revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu in 2011 had ordered to attack Iran. He had asked the Military to be prepared within 15 days.

Tamir Pardo told Keshet TV’s show Uvda in an interview that that the order was not given “for the sake of a drill.” There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office.

“It’s not the sort of thing that you do just for practice,” the former Mossad chief said adding that there could be two reasons to order preparation for an attack — either to actually attack, or to send a signal to someone. “It’s possible the United States would find out about the order one way or another and would be impelled to take action.”

“So, if the prime minister tells you to start the countdown, you understand he’s not playing games,” Pardo said.

Following Netanyahu’s order, the former Mossad chief began to look into whether the prime minister actually had the power to give such an order, which would likely lead to a war with Iran. Israeli law required the cabinet — or at least the security cabinet — to approve a decision to go to war.

“As far as you’re concerned, an attack in Iran is tantamount to deciding to go to war?” Dayan asked him, to which Pardo answered: “Absolutely.” The Mossad chief says he then consulted with former heads of Mossad, legal advisers and everyone else he could think of “to understand who is authorized to give the order to go to war.”

Ex-premier Ehud Barak, who was Netanyahu’s defence minister in 2011, previously claimed Netanyahu sought to bomb Iran in 2010 and 2011, but was opposed by senior Israeli officials.

Click to comment
To Top