[Qatar-6]

Actually Poo they had Phantoms on alert to do one way nuke trips to Russia

sort of a Sampson-and-the-temple-pillars thing

Our massive support which helped turn the tide for them was contingent upon them not going nuclear

Don't kid yourself, The Israelis would deliberate much less than Harry S Truman did and they wouldn't consider the collateral damage of their action should they come to the conclusion it was necessary

Almost seven years in the Middle East has taught me one basic thing. If you start with the premise that they're ALL nuts you won't go far wrong

Where Americans get into trouble is thinking Israel is a western country because they look something like us

Zebras look like horses too, but they're not

Keep repeating it to yourself "Israel is a Middle Eastern Country"....

All the best

Qatar-6

[piasa]

Almost seven years in the Middle East has taught me one basic thing. If you start with the premise that they're ALL nuts you won't go far wrong

BINGO

[Poohbah]

The version I have heard (from a former WHAMMO officer who preceded it with, "Now this ain't no s**t!" so it's gotta be true, right? :o) is that the Phantoms uploaded only AFTER Tricky Dick first told them "screw you, you're on your own, your people here didn't vote for me anyway, and now they're giving me grief about Watergate."

Apparently, they called Henry the K AFTER getting the nuclear alert birds loaded, announced that they had done so, and then politely asked what US policy would be regarding a Samson Option attack on the USSR, seeing as how Tricky Dick didn't seem to disapprove.

After Henry the K got the Israelis to sit by the phone and NOT DO ANYTHING RASH, he then raced to the President's quarters, where he found Tricky Dick quite hammered on the fine liquors available at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He apparently managed to get Tricky Dick to call Golda and offer the full range of US support, IF Ms. Meir would be so kind as to not start World War III.

I'm not sure I believe it, but it does track with the stories that have come out about the last year of the Nixon Administration.