Posted on 09/21/2007 5:13:27 AM PDT by indcons
Before it decided to strike Syria, Israel shared intelligence with President George W. Bush this summer indicating that its neighbor was getting help from North Korea on a nuclear facility, The Washington Post reported on Friday.
The White House was deeply troubled by Israel's assertion that North Korea was assisting Syria's nuclear ambition, but opted against an immediate response because of concern over negotiations on Pyongyang's nuclear program, the Post reported, citing U.S. government sources.
Ultimately, however, the United States is believed to have given Israel some corroboration of the original intelligence before the air raid on September 6, the Post said, citing the sources.
The Post quoted its sources as saying that Israel hit the Syrian facility in the dead of night to minimize possible casualties.
The U.S. sources would discuss the Israeli intelligence, which included satellite imagery, only on condition of anonymity, and many details about the North Korean-Syrian connection remain unknown, the Post reported.
Bush on Thursday refused to answer repeated questions about reports that Israel conducted air strikes in Syria.
"I'm not going to comment on the matter," Bush said, brushing aside several questions during a White House news conference.
Israel has also refused to talk about the reported raid.
Syrian officials have said that their air defenses forced Israeli jets to flee, dropping bombs harmlessly in the desert and has said it could retaliate for the September 6 violation of its territory.
Damascus has denied reports it may have received North Korean nuclear aid. North Korea has also denied any such cooperation.
Why isn’t the Bush Administration figuring out who leaks this stuff and arresting them?
Rooters has a terminal case of BDS, re: Israel shared intelligence with President George W. Bush....so it is all Bush’s fault now....glad to see the Prez pickin’ up the slack since it appears our vaulted Intelligence Services have no time nor resources available, they must keep up the supply of anonymous sources for Rooters and their worldwide MSM buds.
A few years ago NK sent a ship full of missiles to Yemen, which we seized, then let go. As I said at the time, we should have put a team of SEALs on board to disable their communications equipment, then have a sub torpedo it. “Ship? You lost a ship? What a shame. Probably a rougue wave or something.”
Strange that Israel can muster up one iota of compassion or mercy to people that want them all dead.
To their credit and detriment the israelis are HYPER HYPER sensitive about collateral damage to civilians.
Why can't American intel people keep their damn mouths shut....Why? When I was in the service, a leak like this would have put someone in Leavenworth for the rest of their lives.....
That's good!
*******************************EXCERPT********************************
Conservative critics of the administration's recent diplomacy with North Korea have seized on reports of the Israeli intelligence as evidence that the White House is misguided if it thinks it can ever strike a lasting deal with Pyongyang. "However bad it might be for the six-party talks, U.S. security requires taking this sort of thing seriously," said John R. Bolton, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who was a top arms control official in Bush's first term.
But advocates of engagement have accused critics of trying to sabotage the talks. China on Monday abruptly postponed a round of six-party talks scheduled to begin this week, but U.S. officials now say the talks should start again Thursday.
Some North Korean experts said they are puzzled why, if the reports are true, Pyongyang would jeopardize the hard-won deal with the United States and the other four countries. "It does not make any sense at all in the context of the last nine months," said Charles "Jack" Pritchard, a former U.S. negotiator with North Korea and now president of the Korea Economic Institute.
Why isn’t the Bush administration finding everything that is wrong in the federal government and fixing them, either?
/sarc
The fact that Bush apparently collaborated with Israel on this, and the fact that he has no comment on it, are great items of news. It’s a shame that the first comment you make is to fault Bush for any leak that is being made, in a town where leaking has been going on for over centuries.
“Why can’t American intel people keep their damn mouths shut....Why? When I was in the service, a leak like this would have put someone in Leavenworth for the rest of their lives.....”
While I can’t give you a direct answer I have a theory. It seemed to begin after Gulf War I when we were the lone superpower. It started with Bush I’s idealogy of a one world government. This idealogy is shared by our elites in Washington on both the Democrat and Republican side. It is arrogance and lust for power and greed toward this goal that allows such leaks. Our leadership has intelligence and a lot of advanced resources to adequately deal with our current threats. However, the leadership has lost wisdom.
How could we ever prevent intelligence leaks when the Clinton’s can simply allow espionage at Los Alamos in the mid 90’s for campaign contributions? How can we prevent leaks when Sandy Berger can walk in and steal classified documents about 911 and get barely a slap on the wrist? How about the Bush Administration? Your with us or against us right? How about funding Fatah after murdering Israeli’s for 30 years just because a worse terrorist group (Hamas) has moved in? How can we prevent leaks when both Dems and the Administration encourages illegal invasion?
We can’t even begin to deal with the biggest threats facing our nation while our leaders sell us out for either cash or votes. How in the world can we possibly deal with intelligence leaks when our entire government is going much further and directly selling out We the People to foreign nations?
To me, this is the most dangerous era I ever lived in and certainly more dangerous then the 80’s when masses of Soviet tanks were ready to assault Europe. Now it will only take on Islamic bomb to permantely alter our way of life but our leadership is too busy figuring out how to further the Socialist agenda. The commies really will sell us the rope to hang ourselves with. Disgusting and soooo discouraging.
“Some North Korean experts said they are puzzled why, if the reports are true, Pyongyang would jeopardize the hard-won deal with the United States and the other four countries. “It does not make any sense at all in the context of the last nine months,” said Charles “Jack” Pritchard, a former U.S. negotiator with North Korea and now president of the Korea Economic Institute.”
Well Jack, it makes perfect sense when the countries on the other side of the talks are commies planning and coordinating a massive effort to knock the West down and peg and seize booty. Again, a case of blind arrogance that we still dominate the world as the only superpower and other hostile nations will simply line up with the elite’s vision of a global society under America.
Their will be a global society, but it will be under Christ. If this nation still acted on principles based on the motto ‘In God We Trust’ we would have the wisdom to take the action necessary to keep our country safe. Our enemies may make their moves but we would quickly counter them.
Instead, we will see the regional ME war of Gog & Magog and the final great war John speaks of in Revelations where 1/3 of mankind dies with 200 million combatants.
I’ll go CNN one better, though in my book it will be a big plus. the Israelis are taking the PR hit for this, but I’m betting we did it. The IAF is good, real good, but they would have penetrated deep into Syrian airspace featuring the latest in Russky AA Tech. I don’t believe they could have emerged, not only unscathed, but undetected. The F16 is a greaaat aircraft, but it’s not going to escape undetected. A B2 would. And it carries more than enough ooomph to do the job at hand. Also sends a message to Putin that they’ve got a ways to go before they catch up.
You talk tough cowboy! You and the rest of your crowd want to blame leaks, the media etc when things go wrong. This story has nothing to do where you the shaking your fist at.
Fact is the USA is not the only player in town and the stakes are high. Blunders can be recovered from, but the margin of error is lesser.
May our leaders outwit our enemies.
Thanks Ernest. Turkey is also reported to have helped.
May our leaders outwit our enemies.That part was well put. Welcome to FR.
Welcome to FR.
I had not thought of the idea that the strike was by the USA and covered by Israeli dis-info, but sure could be plausible....thanks for bringing that to my attention.
Freeper Intell Agents are the best.
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