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Destruction of Iranian Nuclear Facility Should Remind U.S. of Israel's Unique Value as an Ally
(Real Clear Defense) John Hannah - An explosion at the Natanz nuclear complex on July 2 laid waste to the Iran Centrifuge Assembly Center (ICAC), designed to mass produce advanced centrifuges for enriching uranium. "A Middle Eastern intelligence official," widely suspected to be Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, told the New York Times that Israel was responsible. If true, it's a potent reminder of Israel's enormous value as a strategic partner of the U.S., one that combines the will, capabilities, and tactical skill to confront the region's most dangerous threats in ways that are largely unrivaled by any other American ally. The destruction of the ICAC was a significant blow to Iran's nuclear program. Once deployed, the advanced centrifuges would have dramatically reduced the time required to produce enough highly-enriched uranium for a small nuclear arsenal. The ability to place an agent inside one of the crown jewels of the Iranian nuclear program, much less smuggle in a powerful bomb and detonate it at the point of maximum damage, is an absolutely stunning intelligence accomplishment. The writer, senior counselor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, served as national security advisor to former Vice President Dick Cheney.