Posted on 12/13/2007 2:44:01 PM PST by BradtotheBone
TEL AVIV — The U.S. National Intelligence Estimate has infuriated senior intelligence officials here who have warned the government that the Bush administration has abandoned Israel to a nuclear Iran.
Government sources said the Israeli intelligence community briefed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Wednesday on the repercussions of the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate, which asserted that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program. The sources said the intelligence community termed NIE the clearest indication of a disengagement by the Bush administration from the Middle East. A government source said Israel was stunned by NIE. The source said that neither Bush nor his aides discussed with Olmert or Defense Minister Ehud Barak NIE's conclusion that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003. Both Israelis were in Washington a week before NIE was released on Dec. 3.
"The U.S. failure to discuss NIE with us before its release shows how worthless the White House promises were of a strategic dialogue," the Israeli source said. On Wednesday, a senior government official gave a briefing that reflected severe criticism of NIE and the White House. The official warned that Israel could not expect any U.S. strategic support during Bush's remaining 13 months in office.
Instead, the official said, Israel must fend for itself and hope to influence the policy of Bush's successor toward Iran. The official said the prospect of a U.S. military option against Iran during Bush's presidency was virtually nil.
"Bush is no longer relevant to the Iranian nuclear weapons program," the official, who would not be identified, said.
[On Wednesday, Israel's Channel 10 television reported that Iran has tested a new intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile. The missile, termed Ashoura, has a range of 2,000 kilometers, and unlike the liquid-fuel Shihab-3, and can be rapidly prepared for launch.]
This was the first Israeli government criticism of the Bush administration during the Olmert government, which took office more than 20 months ago. Olmert, with an approval rating of as low as two percent, has consistently praised White House policy toward Israel and the Middle East.
"The United States has failed to stop Iran," a senior official said. "This is President Bush's fault and we cannot expect anything different during his term."
Bush was scheduled to visit Israel in January and discuss Iran and U.S. plans to establish a Palestinian state. Israeli sources said the U.S. president could encounter criticism of his policy by senior Cabinet ministers.
"Today, when Bush looks at Israel, his only thought is how to pressure us to establish a Palestinian state so he could claim a foreign policy achievement in his eight years as president," another official said. "Although his words have usually been warm, they have not been translated into any meaningful strategic support."
The official said the U.S. administration failed to woo China and Russia to oppose Iran's nuclear weapons program. He said Washington must intensify coordination with Beijing and Moscow to avoid defeat in any effort to impose new United Nations Security Council sanctions on Iran.
I agree with you.
At least, that's how I would write the script.
Without the codes to American fighter jets in the region - particularly those operating over Iraq and Afghanistan - an Israeli aerial operation would go from extremely difficult to almost impossible. When Israel requested these codes in 1991 during the First Gulf War to respond to Saddam Hussein’s Scud attacks, the US said no and the Israeli planes stayed at their bases.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1196847296750&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Israel can not attack Iran without some sort of cooperation from us.
You'd think there should be an element of surprise if any military action is involved. Hopefully an Israeli-USA-French exercise.
Israel wants the benefit, then they have to take the blame. We’ve carried the fight to the islamofascists in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now Israel and Urope can do some heavy lifting. We sure as hell won’t criticize them like they do us - even if the hypocrites deserved it.
Perhaps you can explain how equiping the Palestinians with armored personnel carriers, rifles and ammunition beneficial to the Israeli people.
The Israelis were “asked” not to retaliate against Sadam’s scuds because we did not want to lose the coalition of arab nations against Iraq.
They graciously stood by and took it the scud hits without retaliating only as a favor to us.
GTH. Your cowardly withdrawal from Lebanon this year and your demand that we pick up the tab is why we are here today. Had you had the courage to actually get the job done, instead of cutting and running after 2 weeks, we wouldn’t be here today. We supported your incursion into Lebanon and then Israel betrayed our goodwill and support by cutting and running after 2 weeks.
Thanks for nothing. You helped neuter our president in the region via your own actions. Israel, you used to be bad-arse, what happened to you?
Israel, if you happen to have evidence that contradicts the NIE report, PRESENT IT FOR ALL TO SEE. If you happen to know Iran has the bomb, deal with Iran in the same manner as Osirik. But enough with the whining about the USA and demanding that we do your dirty work and GO DO IT YOURSELVES.
I think for their size they’ve MORE than pulled their fair share of the load. And since ‘48.
I also think that the U.S., much like they did in 2003, has told the Israelis to be “more patient”.
After all, Ohlmert is in charge now...if Netanyahu (or a Sharon) were in charge, I’d not be so surprised to see an Israeli air strike on Tehran.
And if you think Euroweenies will lift ANYTHING heavy...
well maybe the Poles...
Yes, Kissinger knows about the NWO.
“In defense of the world order...U.S. soldiers would have to kill and die,” Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Foreign Affairs, July-August 1995
“What is at stake is more than one small country [Kuwait], it is a big idea - a new world order...” — George H.W. Bush
OK, so how is Israel going to raid Iran's nuclear facilities? Yeah, I know, the Israeli Air Force (which has NO stealth aircraft, BTW). BUT HOW EXACTLY DOES THE IAF GET TO IRAN?
Northern route - through Turkey. Yeah, right, the Turks will give permission. Nope, they'll be the first ones to sound the alarm, and to send up a bunch of fighters to intercept the Israelis, both on the way in and the way out.
Southern route - through Saudi Arabia. Not even worth discussing.
Which leaves only the Central route - over Syria or Jordan, and then over Iraq. Well, I suppose that's fine, they could slip just in between Syria and Jordan, both of them might think that the planes are from the other country. Iraq? Its Air Force is non-existent. Hey, this one is the winner....
Oh.
Wait.
I almost forgot.
Iraqi airspace is controlled by the USA. So even if we said, "Sure, go ahead, bomb the crap out of Iran, it'll do everybody a favor" (and I don't see that happening) we are as screwed as if we did it ourselves. You see, everyone in the world will assume that we not only gave Israel permission, but that we helped them. Including and especially Iran, with its missiles and terrorist organizations. I'll even assume that they don't have any nukes. You can still say hello to the Saudi oilfields being bombed, to our installations being bombed, to IEDs in the local mall, etc., etc. Also say hello to a massive storm of protest against US overseas, and against the Bush Administration domestically.
You know, for all of the crap were going to take, we might as well do it ourselves and destroy Iran's military for good. I've seen estimates that we could destroy some 1,200 targets in Iran in about 3 days, effectively destroying its military, communications and intelligence capacity. Yes, the world and the Democraps and the media will yell a lot for a few weeks, but the mullahs won't be doing much except fending off armed rebellions in several provinces.
The alternative is that neither we nor Israel does anything - and then in a couple of years you get a glowing crater where Tel Aviv or Haifa used to be, followed closely thereafter by glow-in-the-dark Arab cities and oil fields, and perhaps the Aswan High Dam gets it, too. Oil will go to $250/barrel (though the radioactive oil will be somewhat cheaper), and $10-$15 per gallon gas, IF you can find it.
No thanks to you guys or those like you who haven't thought it through - we have to do it. That's part of the reason that we got into Iraq in the first place, to be right next to the SOBs in Iran. We should follow through ourselves, just to make sure that the job is done the right way and quickly.
I don’t think you are familiar with the level of pressure and threats being applied to Israel by the State Department in the past 18 months. My friends at various agencies say they haven’t seen anything like it since the Carter days.”
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A President hellbent on a legacy.........Israel is the sacrificial lamb. Of course the pressure is being applied ...and it must be significant to have rolled over the top of the old war horse Sharon, and now Olmert makes not even a squeak.
The Israelis need to recall Bush from office immediately and replace him with somebody who is more reliably dedicated to Israeli interests.
......trust me we will not miss Iran!
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And Iran’s Muslim neighbors, and the Saudi’s, will make sympathetic noises but do nothing. So be it.
No disrespect intended but I'm always suspicious when the Persians are credited with inventing or creating something. Since exploration, trade and conquest were so much a part of their history, they absorbed much from other cultures.
Per Encyclopedia Brittanica via Wikipedia:
The game of Chess has been attributed to the Indians both by the Persian people and by the Arabs.
The earliest precursor of modern chess is a game called Chaturanga, which flourished in India by the 6th century, and is the earliest known game to have two essential features found in all later chess variations — different pieces having different powers, and victory depended on the fate of one piece, the king of modern chess.
but but but...
I thought the U.S. needed to repair it’s “damaged reputation” in the world.
Oh, almost forgot, Israel doesn’t count.
Finally a voice of reason! You are very well spoken. I should be that good. At least you and I “get it.”
Principle element of war: Deception.
We didn’t reveal allied codebreaking during WWII for 50 yrs.
What makes us think the things we read in the news now, are the complete story?
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