Posted on 01/20/2005 1:01:34 PM PST by anotherview
Jan. 20, 2005 22:25
Cheney voices concern that Israel may attack Iran
By JPOST.COM STAFF
Vice President Dick Cheney voiced concern Thursday that Israel may decide to act first against Iran to eliminate the possibility of a nuclear threat.
"If, in fact, the Israelis became convinced the Iranians had significant nuclear capability, given the fact that Iran has a stated policy that their objective is the destruction of Israel, the Israelis might well decide to act first, and let the rest of the world worry about cleaning up the diplomatic mess afterwards," Cheney said in an interview aired on MSNBC on the day that George W. Bush was sworn into office for his second term as president.
"You look around the world at potential trouble spots, Iran is right at the top of the list," Cheney said
A diplomatic shot across the Iranian's bow.
"We don't know how long we can hold back the Israelis, so consider your options."
ping
I think that is the ideal solution. The arabs/persians already hate the Israelis, so whats the harm.
There have been several quotes from Iranian officials who have said they will not stand by and wait for a first strike from Israel. This is one of those situations where if you're going to talk about it publicly, you better be prepared in case some Iranian official decides not to wait and see if your serious or not.
Either that or Cheney just threw Israel under the bus...
He said this on Imus show this morning. Nobody, but nobody, lays the political smack down like Cheney.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking. "Sure, let Israel absorb the pre-emptive strike..."
Coming from the vice president, who has been known to make the rounds in that region when war is imminent, I don't think we can underestimate the gravity of that statement.
See post 7. Ditto.
Just as long as our guys don't shoot down the IAF over Iraq or Saudi Arabia,....
Damn! I want us to do it. I want 100 MOABs dropped in all their glorious beauty. Isreal can bomb after we do just to make their point.
this could actually be the "go signal" - this gives us deniability.
Add to the mix Bush's inauguration speech where he expressed US support for all people striving for freedom everywhere, (read dissidents and students against the mullahs in Iran)......
I can imagine that the mullahs skivies are in a bit of a knot.....they have been playing with fire aiding the insurgents in Iraq...and I believe that Bush will not let it go on much longer without acting.
Near-future statement from Cheney - "Now why did those Iranians have to turn on those SAM radars? Since those radars could target USAF aircraft over Iraq, we had no choice but to turn them off remotely with HARMs. It just so happened that the IAF was also in the area and benefited from this, but that's one of those flying deals."
Israel has substantial military flexibility against a pre-emptive Iranian attack...especially with American ground forces bracketing Iran on the West and in the East (i.e. in Iraq and Afghanistan).
So there is no doubt that VP Cheney just raised the pucker factor in Tehran today.
...to which I say: OUTSTANDING!
IIRC, Iranian Officials have already declared that one of the uses to which they hope to put their nukes would be the destruction of Israel.
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