Posted on 10/23/2007 5:14:25 PM PDT by dervish
Over the last few weeks, State Department officials have reported major diplomatic breakthroughs that will roll back North Korea's nuclear weapons program, allow Pyongyang to be removed from the U.S. state sponsors of terror list, and normalize relations between our two countries.
North Korea reportedly has agreed to disable its nuclear facilities and has, as it has done many times before, promised to give a full accounting of its nuclear program. The latest deadline is Dec. 31, 2007. Congress has been asked to support this agreement, which State Department officials claim will benefit our nation and promote regional stability.
Then, early last month, Israel conducted an airstrike against a facility in northern Syria that press reports have linked to nuclear programs by North Korea, Iran or other rogue states. If this event proves that Syria acquired nuclear expertise or material from North Korea, Iran or other rogue states, it would constitute a grave threat to international security for which Syria and any other involved parties must be held accountable.
Bush administration, however, has thrown an unprecedented veil of secrecy around the Israeli airstrike. It has briefed only a handful of very senior members of Congress, leaving the vast majority of foreign relations and intelligence committee members in the dark. We are among the very few who were briefed, but we have been sworn to secrecy on this matter. However, we are prepared to state, based on what we have learned, that it is critical for every member of Congress to be briefed on this incident...
'snip'
Until Congress is fully briefed, it would be imprudent for the administration to move forward with agreements with state proliferators. Congress must be a full partner in this process and, from this point forward, must be kept dutifully and currently informed about this matter.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Then perhaps you can explain why the White House is taking them off the axis of evil / state sponsors of terror list? WTF?
And yeah, after the amnesty fiasco, all benefit of the doubt is used up.
I agree.
Ross-Lehtinen is one of the good guys.
“Seems like they are worried the State Department might give away the farm... again.”
exactly
You’re missing the point. The benefits derived from the operation are not the issue.
The issue is that the State Department and the Administration are insisting on going through with a deal with North Korea just as the North Koreans have been caught red-handed in an activity the shows irrefutably that they can’t be trusted to abide by the terms of the deal, and that they have no intention of abiding by the deal.
In short, the North Koreans have shown that the deal/agreement is not going to work. Nonetheless, State and the Administration have also shown by their attempts to spin the issue that they don’t care if the deal works. GETTING the deal is what matters to them, they mean to have it regardless, and they want Congress and the US taxpayers to pay for it.
Easy, easy.
One does not tell the other players what his face down cards are. Not till it’s time.
The reason this comment is being made by these ‘politicians’ is that they know it will be revealed soon, and they want to take the credit for having ‘forced’ President Bush to reveal it.
Yes I need mail.
yes
I don't get where you guys are coming from. When you stone cold bust an enemy violating an agreement they signed, you are in the position to dictate future 'diplomacy'.
Why does everyone think W is trying to cut NK some slack? Please explain.
As I commented in another thread, if the GOP had any sense they'd realize she would make, for a variety of reasons, a devastatingly effective Vice-Presidential candidate.
I was thinking the same thing.
And now they know it. I hope to God that Israel hit a target of immense need of hitting because the air defense vulnerability was the real secret. Syria, NK, Iran ... they all know what was hit. Kook Kucinich can't tell them much that they don't know unless some fool briefs Congress on methods. But please think it through ... wouldn't we be much better served if Syria and Iran thought they were sitting fat, dumb, and happy behind the "best" air defense system that money could buy? Wouldn't it have been cool that our guys can penetrate without detection? Well, that cat is out of the bag now and it will hurt unless Israel saved our bacon by making that strike - and they probably did. And I do hope our Air Force was lurking to lend a hand if those brave Israelis got in trouble. We damn well better have their back because they're walking point for us.
No! No More Mail! Please, no more ... no more ...
Happy Halloween ...
.................. FRegards
There have been other stories backing slightly away from that position, but Christopher Hill is sure shooting his mouth off about it.
But is it a ploy? Perhaps, but why pussyfoot around if they caught NK red-handed in Syria? The briefing those two got told them enough of what's going on and I trust Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's judgment that if she sees smoke, then there is fire.
They're naked, too.
Now, China might be miffed about the whole thing, TFB.
This is what happens when you use weak islamic 'states' for your proxy wars.
thanks, bfl
I would appreciate mail. Thank you.”
_________________________
Me too, please.
Hoekstra, Ros-Lehtinen: Reveal Syria Attack Info
News Max | October 22, 2007 | News Max Staff
Posted on 10/23/2007 5:29:22 AM EDT by yoe
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1914992/posts
Raid Revelation (Getting briefed on World War III)
nro | 10/22/2007 | stanley kurtz
Posted on 10/23/2007 11:39:24 AM EDT by milwguy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1915124/posts
...Briefings Peter Hoekstra and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, as senior Republicans on the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees, respectively, were among the mere handful of members of Congress briefed on the Israeli air strike. What they learned obviously dismayed them greatly, as is evident from “What Happened in Syria?” a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published by Hoekstra and Ros-Lehtinen this past Saturday.
Syria admits: Target hit by IAF jets was a nuclear facility
Jerusalem Post | October 17, 2007
Posted on 10/17/2007 1:51:56 AM EDT by camerakid400
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1912321/posts
unfortunately:
UN Reprimands Interpreter for Mistake
AP via NYT | October 20, 2007 | Staff
Posted on 10/22/2007 10:14:53 AM EDT by Schnucki
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1914556/posts
Syria gets UN apology
AFP via Dawn | October 22, 2007 | Staff
Posted on 10/23/2007 8:35:46 AM EDT by Schnucki
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1915034/posts
“UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations has apologised to Syria over an interpreter’s error that created the wrong impression that Damascus admitted that an Israeli air strike last month targeted a Syrian nuclear site, a spokesman said on Monday.”
Report: Syria dismantling facility targeted by IAF
Haaretz Service | October 19, 2007 | Haaretz Service
Posted on 10/19/2007 10:08:43 AM EDT by waimea.man
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1913485/posts
Syrians Disassembling Ruins at Site Bombed by Israel, Officials Say
WP | October 19, 2007 | Robin Wright and Joby Warrick
Posted on 10/22/2007 10:11:25 AM EDT by Schnucki
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1914554/posts
“Based on overhead photography, the officials say the site in Syria’s eastern desert near the Euphrates River had a ‘signature’ or characteristics of a small but substantial nuclear reactor, one similar in structure to North Korea’s facilities.”
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