Posted on 03/10/2006 2:17:28 PM PST by Hannah Senesh
British foreign minister says Iran, Israel nukes pose potential threat; Britain seeking nuclear-free Middle East
British Foreign Minister Jack Straw said Thursday that Britain wants to see a nuclear-free Middle East, saying now that action has been taken against Iraq and Libya, Iran and Israel remain the only two nations posing potential threat.
Speaking to Channel 4 Straw said: "If you want to see a nuclear-free Middle East, you've got to remove that threat from Iran, including the rhetorical threat to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Once you've done that, then we can get on to work in respect of Israel."
He added: "We in the international community defend Iran's right to peaceful nuclear power. That is not the issue. The issue is that they have got to bring themselves into compliance with obligations they voluntarily entered into and until they clarify their intentions, we don't believe it is safe for them to have full access to the nuclear cycle.
"It's a very different and separate issue from what the Iranians say, which is that we are trying to deny them nuclear electric power. We are not."
Bush: Iran grave security concern
Meanwhile, President George W. Bush on Friday called Iran an issue of "grave national security concern" and said he wanted a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Bush said U.S. concerns were the result of Iran's stated desire to destroy Israel and the U.S. belief that Tehran wants to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran says its nuclear program is for civilian power generation.
"Therefore it's very important for the United States to continue to work with others to solve these issues diplomatically, deal with these threats today," Bush told a newspaper group.
Let Britain and France disarm first and then Israel will think about it.
It would sure be ironic if Jack Straw's mouth got the UK nuked from Israel instead of Iran.
Exactly.
Israel has threatened no one with their nukes. No one.
Israel needs those weapons as a deterrance (sp?), not an offensive weapon.
Stick with Iran, Britain, stick with Iran. They are your biggest threat, not Israel.
Israel is the only nation with nukes that's never used them, even for testing.
40 years of no use.
Only a Jihadist butt kisser would try to make them given theirs up.
Well, Jack the Straw Man, I believe that Israel's nukes are there to stay. Get used to it Jackie and try not to wet your pants.
When was the last time Israel paraded one of their missiles down the main drag of their capital? When was the last time Iran did? Well, let them. Just makes it easier for Israel to take em out. I think Straw is simply warning Israel that she better leave Iran alone. But I don't trust Bush not to jump on this new bandwagon, nor the next President.
Israel will nuke Britain before allowing itself to be disarmed.
That may not be strictly true. Israel and India are allies, and there is considerable belief that one of the nukes that India tested in their tests a few years was in fact Israeli.
This in no way changes the fact that asking Israel to give up their nukes is ridiculous and insulting.
This kind of thing is rampant in the UK.
Just look at this article where a former British politician and now editor of the EUobserver actually blames Israel for the crisis with Iran (he actually repeats the lie that Israel is flouting UN resolutions):
Are we heading for a second war in the middle east?
http://euobserver.com/7/21095
There is a political storm in the UK about the fact that it has come to light that Britain helped Israel obtain nuclear weapons. "Such damned hypocrisy," they all cry.
Straw might wanna rethink that statement. If he thinks he can bow up his chest and act all bad concerning Israel, he better think again.
What is also overlooked is that Iran is signatory to the non-proliferation treaty and thus subject to IAEA inspection. I believe Israel is not.
Israel like India have shown themselves to be proper nuclear citizens of the world. A nuke in the hands of sane people poses very little threat to civilization. |
---------------------------
That quote is totally out of context, and probably doesn't mean what the headline says. "get back to work on respect to Israel," grammar notwithstanding, probably just means resuming/advancing the peace process in Israel.
err.. "get on to work in respect of Israel."
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who has Jewish ancestry, the Daily Telegraph reported.
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:sI1nR17-RDIJ:news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2999219.stm+%22Jack+Straw%22++jewish++tony+blair%27s+cabinet&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1
As though that matters.
I'm just looking for the self hating Jews and Jack Straw falls in there, though somewhat ambiguously
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.