Posted on 01/10/2009 1:11:29 PM PST by Sub-Driver
U.S. Rejected Aid for Israeli Raid on Iranian Nuclear Site By DAVID E. SANGER
WASHINGTON — President Bush deflected a secret request by Israel last year for specialized bunker-busting bombs it wanted for an attack on Iran’s main nuclear complex and told the Israelis that he had authorized new covert action intended to sabotage Iran’s suspected effort to develop nuclear weapons, according to senior American and foreign officials.
White House officials never conclusively determined whether Israel had decided to go ahead with the strike before the United States protested, or whether Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel was trying to goad the White House into more decisive action before Mr. Bush left office. But the Bush administration was particularly alarmed by an Israeli request to fly over Iraq to reach Iran’s major nuclear complex at Natanz, where the country’s only known uranium enrichment plant is located.
The White House denied that request outright, American officials said, and the Israelis backed off their plans, at least temporarily. But the tense exchanges also prompted the White House to step up intelligence-sharing with Israel and brief Israeli officials on new American efforts to subtly sabotage Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, a major covert program that Mr. Bush is about to hand off to President-elect Barack Obama.
This account of the expanded American covert program and the Bush administration’s efforts to dissuade Israel from an aerial attack on Iran emerged in interviews over the past 15 months with current and former American officials, outside experts, international nuclear inspectors and European and Israeli officials. None would speak on the record because of the great secrecy surrounding the intelligence developed on Iran.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Either these are leaking rats, or the NYT is running with Sey Hersh's fantasies again.
Something doesn’t smell right. That’s right it’s a NYSlimes story.
“authorized new covert action intended to sabotage Iran’s suspected effort to develop nuclear weapons”
more nytreason.
Why are they publishing this?
I would not blame the messenger here. The story is most likely right on target.
Israel already has the GBU-28.....I think the lefties at the NYT are spilling the beans for the sale of the GBU-39, which is a guided glide bomb. And no, I won’t click the NYT link to read the article.....
One effect of this leak, if true, is it will cause lefties to push Obama to cancel the program. This is the type of info I would be happy to read about 50 years after the fact.
I know it is not required to state but I will anyway.
NYTimes is:
anti-God,
anti-family,
anti-military,
anti-monogamy,
anti-religion,
anti-conservatives,
anti-freedom,
ANTI-AMERICAN
however, they are:
pro-terrorists,
pro-deviancy
pro-liberals/socialists/communist
pro-taxes
pro-slavery
The Israeli’s are very good at developing new weapons or modifying and improving existing weapons.
It would be cheaper for them to purchase existing technology from us, or someone else, but you can be sure they are developing their own weapons for this effort if they cannot get them elsewhere.
And we can hope that it's making some folks nervous over there.
This information GREATLY CHANGES the strategic calculus on the part of Iran.
This says there will be no Israeli or US strike. THAT changes everything.
Thought this was old news. Well Israel won’t be getting this military assistance now.
The Obamatron says when the chips are down, he’s “with the muslims.”
Shite, Sunni, just as good.
Israel should not give their back to Obama. He will stick the knife right in.
I would not be surprised if this is a “plausable deniability” story planted by Bush administration so something can happen soon in Iran, before Jan. 20.
bump
I am going to open myself up to being called an idiot here, but I want to understand this so I am going to ask anyway.
Are we to believe that Israel did ask for this? Does Israel really not trust Condi? Is publishing this dangerous/harmful? Does this publication harm US/Israel relations? Does it bolster Iran’s position or Israel’s position or US position? What is the politics involved?
As you can see I am clueless. Anyone up to teaching foreign relations 101?
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
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