20210607 - Israeli Attack on Iraq's Osirak 1981: Setback or Impetus for Nuclear Weapons?

CIA and U.S. diplomats warned in 1979-1980 that Israel might attack
Reagan administration missed the level of Carter’s concern, so were taken by surprise
Saddam Hussein saw himself "on the side of the angels" and Israel was "increasingly ... viewed as the international pariah," CIA official noted
France took secret “preventive measures” to block Iraqi weapons capability, unbeknownst to Iraqis

Washington, D.C., June 7, 2021 – On June 7, 1981, 40 years ago today, Israel attacked and partially destroyed Iraq’s Osirak nuclear research reactor at Tuwaitha, using U.S. supplied F-15 and F-16 aircraft to carry out the attack.  Ten Iraqi soldiers and one French engineer were killed during the airstrike.  Apparently, the Israeli raid took President Ronald Reagan and his advisers completely by surprise, yet their predecessors, including President Jimmy Carter, were aware of the strong possibility of an attack. Read more.