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Israel asked George W.Bush to bomb Syrian nuclear facility

Bush: Olmert asked me to bomb Syrian reactor – Israel News, Ynetnews, 6 Nov 10, Former President George W. Bush says he considered ordering a US military strike against a suspected Syrian nuclear facility at Israel’s request in 2007, but ultimately opted against it.

According to foreign reports, Israel was behind a bombing that eventually destroyed the facility, which Syria denied was aimed at developing a nuclear weapons capability.

“George, I’m asking you to bomb the compound,” Olmert told Bush, according to the book, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.

Bush says he discussed options with his national security team. A bombing mission was considered “but bombing a sovereign country with no warning or announced justification would create severe blowback,” he writes.

A covert raid was discussed but it was considered too risky to slip a team in and out of Syria undetected.

Bush received an intelligence assessment from then-CIA Director Mike Hayden, who reported that analysts had high confidence the plant housed a nuclear reactor, but low confidence of a Syrian nuclear weapons program.

Bush: Olmert asked me to bomb Syrian reactor – Israel News, Ynetnews

November 6, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Israel, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons, reactor