That Israeli operation was deliberate, methodical and planned over a week in advance is obvious from statements of the senior Israeli military commanders (made in Hebrew) to the media days before the attack. The target was an unarmed ship on a humanitarian mission. Why would Israeli commandos shoot nine unarmed activists dead with bullets fired at close range, between the eyes, in the head or back of the head, in the chest, back and some, in legs? The slain included one American citizen too and the final death toll may well be 15 as six activists are still missing. The Israeli Army radio, rather ominously, has reported 16 dead. Did the Israel think it would get away with it by censoring videos and photos, or by refusing an international, independent commission to investigate the incident and the subsequent cover-up? Why should Israel almost declare a de facto war on the international community, including the Muslim nations that are, geo-strategically speaking, part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)? Why would Israel take on virtually the entire global public opinion? Is this merely a case of dysfunctional government, as Bradley Burton wrote in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz? And strategically speaking, is there any method in this madness? Or is the method actually the madness itself? There may be a very simple answer to all these questions. Fear of Islam that has now become the fear of Iran. Israel has to pave the way for an attack on Iran, absolutely ensure it, no matter what the consequences. -BEDARBAKHT TURABI, Chichoki Maliyyan, June 15.