Operation Opera

Operation Opera

Operation Opera, also known as Operation Babylon, was a surprise airstrike by the Israeli Air Force on June 7, 1981. The strike hit an unfinished Iraqi nuclear reactor southeast of Baghdad, Iraq. Israel thought the reactor could be used to make nuclear weapons, which would make the Arab–Israeli conflict even more dangerous.

Israeli pilots flew F-16A fighter planes, with F-15As escorting them, to attack the reactor called Osirak. Israel said the reactor was almost ready to become a danger and needed to be stopped. The attack happened just before big elections in Israel.

Many countries criticized Israel for what they did. Some called it unfair and aggressive. Even though the attack destroyed the reactor, Iraq later tried harder to build nuclear weapons in secret. This event showed why it is important to stop countries from getting nuclear weapons.

Iraq's nuclear program

Main article: Iraq and weapons of mass destruction

In the 1960s, Iraq began a program to build nuclear power. By the mid-1970s, they wanted to buy a nuclear reactor. They asked France and Italy to sell them one, but both countries said no. Finally, Iraq convinced France to sell them a research reactor called Osiris, along with a smaller one called Isis. This deal included special uranium and training for staff and cost around $300 million.

Construction of the main reactor, named Osirak by the French and Tammuz 1 by Iraq, began in 1979 near Baghdad. Although Iraq and France said the reactor was for peaceful research, some people thought it might be used for weapons later. However, experts later said it was not made to create bombs and had safety checks.

Strategy and diplomacy

In Israel, talks about how to respond to Iraq building a nuclear reactor began in 1974. After Menachem Begin became the leader of Israel in 1977, plans to stop the reactor grew stronger. Israel tried talking to France, the United States, and Italy to stop the reactor but did not succeed. Saddam Hussein said the reactor was for peaceful uses, but Israel did not believe this.

Israel’s intelligence agency tried different secret actions to stop the reactor. They even tried to stop workers from helping build it. In 1980, Iran attacked the reactor with airplanes, causing some damage. This helped Israel plan its own attack.

The Israeli planes had to fly a very long distance to reach the reactor in Iraq. They decided to use special planes loaded with fuel and weapons. The leaders of Israel argued about whether to attack. Some thought it might cause problems with other countries, but Begin decided to go ahead.

The Israelis got help from Iran, who took pictures of the reactor to help plan the attack. They practiced their mission and waited for the right time to strike.

Attack

Yehuda Zvi Blum spoke at the United Nations Security Council after the attack. He said the operation happened on a Sunday afternoon when they thought workers would not be there. However, many workers were still at the site during the raid.

The attack used eight F-16As carrying special bombs, with six F-15As for support. The pilots included Ze'ev Raz, Amos Yadlin, Dobbi Yaffe, Hagai Katz, Amir Nachumi, Iftach Spector, Relik Shafir, and Ilan Ramon. Raz led the attack and was later honored. Ramon, the youngest pilot, later became the first Israeli astronaut.

The operation began on June 7, 1981. The planes flew from Etzion Airbase through Jordanian and Saudi airspace. To avoid being noticed, the pilots spoke in Saudi-accented Arabic and pretended to be a lost Saudi patrol. They even acted like they were from Jordan while flying over Saudi Arabia. The planes were heavily loaded, so they dropped their extra fuel tanks over the Saudi desert.

King Hussein of Jordan saw the planes and guessed they were heading to the Iraqi reactor. He tried to warn Iraq, but the message didn’t get through. The planes flew low to avoid radar and then climbed to drop bombs on the reactor. The attack was very quick, lasting less than two minutes.

International political reactions

See also: United Nations Security Council Resolution 487

The world responded in many ways to the attack on the nuclear reactor. The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on June 19, 1981. It said the attack broke international rules and asked Israel not to do this again. It also said Iraq had the right to develop technology and nuclear programs, and asked Israel to join international agreements to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

The UN General Assembly passed another resolution in November 1981. It called the attack an act of aggression and asked Israel to pay for the damage it caused. Many countries around the world criticized the attack, including leaders in the United States. Some said it was a serious mistake and went against international law.

Different countries had different views. Some said the reactor was only for scientific research and was not for making weapons. Others discussed whether Israel’s actions were right or wrong. The attack caused a lot of discussion and disagreement among countries about how to handle nuclear weapons and international security.

Aftermath

Ten Iraqi soldiers and one French civilian were killed in the attack. Israel later agreed to pay money to the engineer's family.

Iraq wanted to rebuild the facility, and France agreed to help at first. But because of other problems, the plans to rebuild stopped in 1984. The damaged facility stayed that way until it was destroyed again during the 1991 Persian Gulf War by coalition air strikes.

The attack happened just before an important election in Israel. The party that did the attack ended up winning the election.

The United States was surprised by the attack and saw it as a big mistake in their intelligence.

In later years, Iraq asked Israel to pay for the damage to the reactor.

Assessment

Israel thought the attack delayed Iraq's nuclear plans by about ten years. In 2005, Bill Clinton said the attack was a good decision because it stopped Saddam Hussein from building nuclear weapons.

After the attack, Iraq became more determined to build nuclear weapons. Some experts think the attack made Iraq’s nuclear program stronger and faster. Others believe it helped stop Iraq from getting nuclear weapons sooner. The attack is still talked about when discussing how countries try to stop others from building nuclear weapons.