On this day: The Osirak Nuclear Reactor strike

In a statement the Israeli government said the reason for the mission was clear. "The atomic bombs which that reactor was capable of producing…would be of the Hiroshima size," they said.

"We again call upon them to desist from this horrifying, inhuman deed. Under no circumstances will we allow an enemy to develop weapons of mass destruction against our people."

When news of what happened emerged some 24 hours later, it was roundly condemned by countries including France and the United States. A decade later, in the wake of the Gulf War, then US Defence Secretary Dick Cheney thanked Israel for the "bold action".

What the JC said: High in the sky above Tel Aviv, two F-15s were "buzzing off" in a victory roll, after finishing the mission and before landing back at their base. They accelerated, breaking the speed barrier. Two supersonic booms broke glasses in many homes. Nobody down below knew what had happened, but for the pilots it was a personal way of telling the worried Israeli citizens that they no longer had to worry about the Iraqi reactor. The nightmare was over.

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