In the early 1980s the French were building Saddam Hussein a nuclear reactor that would enable the Iraqi dictator to manufacture atomic bombs. Safe behind threats of nuclear retaliation, Iraq could then conquer Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, acquiring control of half the world's oil reserves. Only one small and often unappreciated nation stood in its way.


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General David Ivy is the former head of the Israeli Air Force. Among his most treasured possessions is an enlargement of a spy satellite photograph of the bombed-out Iraqi nuclear reactor at Tuwaitha. At the bottom is a note from just after the 1991 Iraqi war. Written by then Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney, it says, "With thanks and appreciation. You made our job easier in Desert Storm."

Rodger Claire's book explains why Desert Storm could be waged with no fear of an Iraqi nuclear attack on an Arab state, on Israel, and perhaps even on Europe. The most interesting aspect of the story is that so many of the characters from the late 1970s and early 1980s are still with us and playing virtually identical roles.

France, a loyal ally to no one, is there, attempting to shore up its declining economy with a lucrative contract to build Saddam a reactor that will serve no purpose other than to build nuclear bombs. Iraq, with the second largest oil reserves in the world, doesn't need nuclear expertise for any other purpose. Indeed, the first photo in the book has a smiling French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac seated on a couch with Saddam Hussein during their negotiations over the reactor. You can almost read the thoughts of the two men. Chiraq, his eyes eagerly focused on Saddam, is thinking: "Please, we'll do anything you want. Just give us oil." Saddam, his eyes carefully avoiding Chiraq, is thinking: "I can't believe the French elected such an idiot."

Israel, is present in its usual role--saving the world from a lot of grief, but only receiving condemnation in return. The foreign policy of the US is as muddled as usual. Seeking to do the right thing, it supplies Israel with state-of-the-art aircraft and spy satellite photographs of the reactor site. But mindful that Europe tilts its politics very heavily toward the source of its oil, publicly it will condemn the Israeli attack. Privately, Reagan would note, "But what a terrific piece of bombing!"

Most of the book describes how that "terrific piece of bombing" was planned and executed. As the book's front cover notes, it was "one of the most daring--and successful--military strikes" in history. Eight F-16 aircraft, loaded to twice their maximum design load, would fly 600 miles through hostile air space, staying below 100 feet to avoid radar. Reaching their heavily defended target, they would rise up, braving anti-aircraft fire and state-of-the-art ground-to-air missiles, to drop their bombs with incredible precision on the reactor's dome. Then they would return home, knowing that the only air fields where they would be welcomed lay at the extreme limit of their range. Returning, they chose to leave highly visible contrails across the skies of Jordan. If they had flown higher or lower, head winds and higher fuel consumption would have made their return impossible. The F-16s were so stripped down, they were virtually defenseless. But flying cover for them were six F-15s. Jordan had enough sense not to tangle with the Israeli Air Force. It's also easy to suspect than more than one Arab leader was secretly delighted by what Israel had done.

On that day, June 7, 1981, embattled little Israel had changed the course of history. Iraq's reactor was destroyed and the nation's program to develop nuclear weapons was delayed to the point that none were available for the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Thanks to Israel's courage, Saddam does not dominate the Middle East or the world's economy. Thanks to them, one of the region's most brutal dictators was dragged, dazed and bedraggled, from the 'spider hole' where he had been hiding.