Posted on 04/21/2010 8:51:23 AM PDT by jhpigott
In a meeting with students at West Virginia University, a young pilot asked the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Army, Mike Malen, to comment on rumors that if Israel decides to attack Iran, its fighters will need to cross Iraq's airspace to reach their targets. The U.S. military has described this airspace as ‘closed to flights’. If so, would American forces shoot down Israeli planes flying over Iraq?
Malen's reply: "We have a strong exceptional relationship with Israel. I spent much time with my colleagues in Israel. And so we have a very clear understanding of where we are. Beyond that, I just would not want to get into speculation about what might happen and who might do what. Frankly, I do not think it serves any purpose. I hope that the issue will be resolved in the way which will never have to answer a question like this. "
(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
I agree 100% that SOP when answering a question like the one posed by the WVU student would be “no comment” -
Unfortunately, that’s not what Mullen gave us - “We have a strong exceptional relationship with Israel. I spent much time with my colleagues in Israel. And so we have a very clear understanding of where we are. Beyond that, I just would not want to get into speculation about what might happen and who might do what. Frankly, I do not think it serves any purpose. I hope that the issue will be resolved in the way which will never have to answer a question like this.”
That’s a mouthful, sure “sounds” like more than “no comment” to me. Maybe it was unintended, but maybe not
Nobama may tell them to fire on Isreali planes, but betting somehow there is a guidance malfunction or garbled order in the field.
Our Mil knows damn well this crackhead in da whiteyhouse won’t be there long.
Don't forget tht Israel attacked the ship b/c they din't want the world to know THEY initiated the Six-Day War, and not the Egyptians like they claimed. Additionally, the Israelis were using tank main guns against civilians. Also, Amerian troops aboard the ship waved at the IDF pilots, when the pilots banked and opened fire. Thinking that the Israelis didn't recognize the ship as American, the American troops lowered the flag on the ship and put up a bigger one..... the Israelis banked and opened fire again. The ship released the lifeboats and on the third strafe, the Israelis blew the lifeboats out of the water. The ship drifted into water that was too shallow to deploy the ditch bags (containg Top Secret radio intercepts and other classified) and were in danger of floating into water too shallow to scuttle the ships. The ship's captain requsted F-16 support from American stationed in Saudi Arabia; the response was the jets were en-route. The Israelis left the area to avid air to air conflict with American pilots. Fortunately, the Israelis never realized that the F-16s did not receive runway/tower/air space clearance from the Saudis. The USS Liberty was able limp to port. And since it was no longer under threat, the classified information was not ditched and that is how we came to know of thecircumstances regarding the Six-Day War. A gag order was placed against the entire crew of the USS Liberty. The Israelis claimed they mistook the ship for an Egyptian one.......that was not comparable in size or appearnce to the USS Liberty. US servicemen that were wounded, blinded, maimed, and the families of those killed, filed a lawsuit against the Israeli government but could not proceed because of the offical gag order...... the captain of the USS Liberty broke his silence on his deathbed something like 20 years after the incident. All of that said, yes the US and Israel have a strong binding history of friendship; however, they look after and protect Israel's nterests first and foremost. They cannot be faulted for this, every country does this and should do this as a sovereing nation.... including the United States. While the US was on the receiving end of this attack, Israel obviously felt it was in protection of their interests to destroy an American spy ship (which is what it was). Likewise, Israel cannot expect the US to put the interests of Israel above our own. The US has a duty first and foremost to US inteests..... including the tens of tousands of US troops in th region. Now, the powers that be may allow Israel use of US controlled airspace if it wil not hinder US interests.... but no one should just assue it so. FYI.... source of info for this post is Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency by James Bamford. It is a very well researched and informative book concerning some of the US' intelligence successes and failures. "
Things have changed greatly....leaders are determining their positions on the game board...all are saying nothing is off the table....may better minds prevail as this crisis builds.
Every time I read the news it’s worse.
I’m reading The Bible more instead . . .
He should have said no comment. However, if he said the opposite, that the US would NOT shoot down Israeli planes flying over Iraq, that would be tantamount to saying they already have permission, would create a diplomatic nightmare for dealing with the Arabs and any closet Iranian allies, AND would lose the element of surprise against Iran. He didn’t say we would shoot them down either. He was in a bind and gave the best non-committal answer he could short of “no comment.” You guys should just leave it alone.
IAF f-15/16’s would never see an F-22 coming. So you lost your argument right there.
I had mentioned this possibility a couple days ago - that if Israel were to launch an attack that passes over Iraqi airspace, and the military were to stand down, that would create an enormous problem, in effect becoming insubordinate to the CIC (Obozo) and ROE. By allowing a flyover, the world would charge that we are supporting the attack. Politically, Obama doesn’t want this. So it would come down to two choices for the White House if the military did nothing:
1. Admit that it has no control of the military.
2. Admit that it gave clearance to attack, and drawing us into a war with Iran, thereby infurating the liberal base.
Israel would have to gamble that if we shot the planes down, both sides would keep it quiet, i.e., it never happened, and let the fists fly between the diplomats behind closed doors.
Nope, sorry. No free passes for someone who should know better than give the response he gave. Either he is a professional soldier or he isn’t. Considering his position of being on the Joint Chief’s staff he should have known how to respond, but didn’t.
My first post was in response to another poster pointing out historcal events. I tried to detail it in an unbiased historical perspective, but got bogged down demonstrating each nation's responsibility for their own security first and foremost.
At the present things don't look good at all. We can look at the past to see corellations etc.... this doesn't mean that 100% is how it will be today, or tomorow. There is no use in crying over spilt milk, but that doesn't mean we shold stick our head in the sand and say it could NEVER happen. I don't think it will happen, I don't want it to happen, but as others have mentioned, you never know with this adinistration.
US relations (on the surface) appear strained with several historic allies. And historic belligerents are now seizing the opportunity to further their aggressions; Iran, North Korea, Venzuela etc.
Sovereign debt crisies loom over much of the Western world. US manufacturing is unimpressive, unemployment is high, there is an 80% public mistrust of the gov't, we've been fighting the GWOT for 9 almost years, the American political landscape has drastically changed in the last year .... and in general the US public is restless.
It's like two concentric circles.... the inner pointing their guns out and the outer pointing their guns in.... everyone seems to be in the crossfire.
2 years ago, no one would've dreamed this is the state we would be in.
Sorry. My bad!
The F-16 first flew in 1974.
Yes this is so....Countries are emboldened now with BO at the helm of our nation. As I have said before, what BO does or thinks does is not as relevant as he believes. I am very concerned about what is happening in Venezuela as Russia and Iran are very much active there now...as well as Cuba has jumped on board with them. And not only on the Continent itself, but in the waters very close to our shores.
I’m with SoldierDad on this one. If this was some USAF light bird or a one star or the equivalent who gave that answer - ok, I can see giving the guy a pass. But, as SoldierDad pointed out, this is the JCS. He could have (and should have) just said “no comment” - instead he blabbers on and says stuff like “And so we [U.S. and Israel]have a very clear understanding of where we are.”
Ahhh! Great question & comeback! I wish the follow-up question to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Army, Mike Malen, had been this question. I would love to see him stammer & stutter & equivocate when asked this follow-up question.
Yea it would. The important targets are in northern Iran. They'd be better off overflying Turkey, if the Turks would allow it.
F-16s in 1968????
ROFL.
Yeah, that’s some really credible “source material” you’ve got there!
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