Jerusalem Post reaction to US intel pipple re Iranian nukes
Here’s the reaction story at the Jerusalem Post re Hadley’s very public announcement today that the American intel duoctopus (16 agencies, not eight) has concluded that Iran stopped its weapons program in 2003. Although enrichment of uranium continues.
Israeli gov’t reaction in part is that enrichment itself remains a possible casus belli.
At the bottom of the JP page are readers’ comments. Largely telling the Americans to get lost. One often wishes the feelings were mutual.
In context of the photo op earlier this week in Annapolis … Does this mean Bush-Cheney are throwing in the towel on remaking the mideast on Perle’s Clean Break model?
The JP piece suggests we’re in for a new round of Psy Ops re the danger of Iran to the region. As did George Packer in The New Yorker earlier this fall. But … we shall see. Perhaps peace, as last resort, will be given a chance.
ed says:
Well, today, the day after the big brains at Intel America did their 180, Bush, sounding quite pathetic, ripostes that any kind of nuclear energy development in Iran is Verboten.
From the NY Times:
He said Iran could not be entrusted with acquiring even the scientific knowledge to enrich uranium for peaceful civilian use, explicitly declaring for the first time what has been an underlying premise of the Bush administration’s policy. …
“Look, Iran was dangerous, Iran is dangerous, and Iran will be dangerous, if they have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon,” Mr. Bush said, sounding defensive at times …
“What’s to say they couldn’t start another covert nuclear weapons program?” …
“And so I view this report as a warning signal that they had the program,” Mr. Bush said. “They halted the program. And the reason why it’s a warning signal is that they could restart it.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/washington/04cnd-intel.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
END QUOTE
Revolting to even read such language.
“They could restart it.” Therefore cause for just war exists. That’s the Likud argument — aired lightly in the Jerusalem Post piece yesterday (above).
Despite the ouster of Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, it seems the White House alliance with the Israeli war party remains intact, at least between the Decider’s ears. Why? I haven’t the foggiest idea.
Or: He’s “the war president.” The great joy of discovering a misison in life, there amidst the rubble in 2001, trumps a feeble mind? Trumps all?
December 4th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
ed says:
There’s several pieces in today’s Jerusalem Post re the two events — the NIE and Bush’s blathering reaction — worth reading. One by Calev Ben-David. Another re Lieberman’s assessment of the American Intel assessment.
Indeed, it’s always worth checking in at the JP’s “Iranian Threat” page to gauge the mind of the country that, at bottom, is the Decider as to whether Iran will be attacked.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/Page/IndexParMult&cid=1145961369337
December 5th, 2007 at 12:41 pm