ISRAEL could cripple Iran’s power grid with electromagnetic pulses as part of a concerted attack to halt the Islamic republic’s military nuclear program.
The possible use of such a weapon to send Iran “back to the Stone Age” has been raised in several quarters as a debate rages among Israel’s politicians about whether a swift strike should be launched to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons.
According to Bill Gertz, a veteran US defence specialist and editor of The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative website, US intelligence agencies have reported “growing concerns that Israel will conduct a strike on Iran using a high-altitude nuclear burst aimed at disrupting all electronics in the country”.
The technology behind EMP, which is regarded as non-lethal, has been known for decades. An electromagnetic pulse is an intense burst of gamma energy that reacts with the Earth’s magnetic field to produce a powerful current.
This sets off a shockwave with the potential to “fry” electronic devices and circuits.
A pulse can also be produced by non-nuclear means, such as a microwave generator. Such a pulse could knock out the power grid and communications for transport, financial and emergency services.
The “back to the Stone Age” tactic was urged in the right-wing publication Israel National News by Joe Tuzara, an American writer who said signs that Iran was speeding up development of nuclear weapons should prompt a pre-emptive EMP attack. “The burst would create no blast or radiation on the ground, but food supply would be exhausted and communication would be largely impossible, leading to economic collapse,” he said.
Uzi Rubin, who helped develop Israel’s anti-missile defence shield, said: “The use of a nuclear device even for non-lethal use such as EMP is out of the question.
“There are methods to operate EMP from the ground.”
He said it could be used to take out Iran’s radar system.
THE SUNDAY TIMES
WarSclerotic 
September 9, 2012 at 8:48 PM
As forewarned!
Israel, once you were defined as the tough kid in a tough neighborhood that shouldn’t be messed with. Now, do to your weak or none reaction toward provocation you’re perceived as low hanging fruit ripe for the picking, even by your allies. Those who respected and even feared you now sneer and circle you and your perceived weakness. Be prepared to bring back the Israel of old, or prepare to disappear from the picture. The choice is yours,there is no middle ground. It is written.