Operation Opera

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

The Israeli pilots flew F-16A fighter planes, escorted by F-15As, to attack the reactor named Osirak. Israel said the reactor was almost ready to become dangerous and needed to be stopped. The attack happened just before important elections in Israel.

Many countries around the world criticized Israel for this action. Some newspapers called it unfair and aggressive. Even though the attack destroyed the reactor, it also made Iraq more determined to build nuclear weapons in secret later on. This event showed how important it is to prevent countries from getting nuclear weapons.

Iraq's nuclear program

Main article: Iraq and weapons of mass destruction

In the 1960s, Iraq started 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 refused. Finally, Iraq convinced France to sell them a research reactor called Osiris, along with a smaller one called Isis. This deal also included special uranium and training for staff, costing around $300 million (about $1.62 billion today).

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 believed it could eventually be used for weapons. However, experts later said it was not designed to make bombs and had safety checks in place.

Strategy and diplomacy

In Israel, talks about how to respond to Iraq building a nuclear reactor began as early as 1974. After Menachem Begin became the leader of Israel in 1977, preparations for stopping 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 thought this was not true.

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, including foreign experts, 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 different ways to the attack on the nuclear reactor. The United Nations Security Council quickly passed a resolution on June 19, 1981. This resolution strongly 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 later 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. The civilian killed was an engineer who was working there. 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, like a war and payment issues, 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. Some people thought the timing was to help one political party win. The party that did the attack ended up winning the election by just one seat.

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, saying international rules supported their request.

Assessment

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

After the attack, Iraq became more determined to build nuclear weapons. Some experts think the attack actually 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.