Posted on 03/11/2006 5:34:24 PM PST by Esther Ruth
British FM: Israel and Iran Both Potential Threats 23:51 Mar 11, '06 / 11 Adar 5766 By Ezra HaLevi
England's Foreign Minister Jack Straw says that the world should worry about disabling Israel's nuclear capabilities as much as it is concerned with preventing Iran from going nuclear.
Straw said Thursday that Britain is seeking a "nuclear-free Middle East." He said that Iran and Israel were the only two countries left that posed "potential threats" now that Iraq and Libya's nuclear aspirations have been neutralized.
The foreign minister, who has made headlines in the past criticizing the Jewish state, conceded that removing the Iranian threat was indeed more urgent than the Israeli one. "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," Straw told British Channel 4 television. "Once you've done that, then we can get on to work in respect of Israel."
Former Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon faced criticism from defense officials in Israel over the weekend after he spoke at the Washington D.C. Hudson Institute, saying the military option against Iran's nuclear project was viable. He responded to the criticism on Israeli television Friday. "I spoke about the West's military option," he said. "Whether it is U.S. forces, NATO or the Israeli army that deal with the Iranian capability - there is a military capability that would set back the program for many years.”
Meanwhile, Iran threatened Saturday to use its oil as a weapon if the UN Security Council imposes sanctions over its nuclear program. "If they politicize our nuclear case, we will use any means. We are rich in energy resources. We have control over the biggest and the most sensitive energy route of the world," Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi said, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
Iran is the second largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and has partial control over the narrow Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which crude oil is transported from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq to the world market.
Published: 23:30 March 11, 2006 Last Update: 23:51 March 11, 2006
"England's Foreign Minister Jack Straw says that the world should worry about disabling Israel's nuclear capabilities as much as it is concerned with preventing Iran from going nuclear."
This guy has been right a time or two in my memory; but this is downright fatuous, this moral equivalency. It shows that at least a portion of his brain is made of manure. People who have manure for brains bore me.
Israel is the biggest threat in the world. Just look at their imperialistic game plan. They have conquered all 0.1% of the middle east!! They must be stopped.
Straw's comment is so far out in left field that it's reasonable to conclude that he's either an anti-Semite or a pro-moron.
I've not always payed attention to this as I should have so I'll ask...is this something new, his asking that Israel do this? Is he just speaking for himself or does he speak for others?
Are there any in the GOP now who you may think could/would come up with this same "moronic" conclusion?
You can see the game plan forming up here. Israel is to be put on the same equivalency as Iran and should multilaterally disarm from nuclear weapons. Sounds like Straw is trying to appear even handed but to me he comes across as another gutless euro-pol.
Words and actions being two different things seem to be the rule of the day so nothing would surprise me. I cannot help but smell a setup for the next round of "good cop/bad cop".
And 1 day into any conflict they will exercise NO control over the Straits of Hormuz.
And Jack Straw is a Jack Ass, exuding "used Straw" from his mouth every time he opens it.
Pat "Forehead" Pukekanin?
Yeah, but (mercifully) his relevancy is long gone...
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
The idea that Israel is capable of effectively defending itself makes many Europeans uncomfortable. They prefer Jews as they've known them for centuries -- defenseless.
Find a good map, have someone orient it so north is up, then have them mark the Middle East and southwest Asia for you.
Locate Israel, if you can see it. Color all the muslim countries red.
Now take a close look and see which single country on that map needs nuclear weapons?
It shouldn't be that difficult, even for a moron...
England's 'Man of Straw"..
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