(Israeli) PM urges U.S. to end threat of nuclear Iran

[Poll_Blind]

Read the full article from Ha'aretz, here. Emphasis mine:

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a joint meeting of the United States Houses of Congress on Wednesday that a "nuclear armed Iran is an intolerable threat to the peace and security of the world," which "cannot be permitted to materialize."

--snip--
"A nuclear Iran means a terrorist state could achieve the primary mission for which terrorists live and die: the mass destruction of innocent human life. This challenge, which I believe is the test of our time, is one the West cannot afford to fail," he continued. "History will judge our generation by the actions we take now."

"If we do not take Iran's bellicose rhetoric seriously now, we will be forced to take its nuclear aggression seriously later," he said.

--snip--

Before leaving, Olmert met with about 40 American Jewish leaders and told them he was very much impressed with Bush's "comprehensive grasp of the entire situation in the Middle East," said June Walker, national president of Hadassah, the women's Zionist organization.

On Iran, she said, Olmert said he was "confident that America would do what was necessary to deal with Iran."

Read the full article from Ha'aretz, here.

PB

[norml]

1. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert can go to Hell!

If Ehud wants war with Iran so badly, let him wage it.

[Wise Doubter]

2. "History will judge our generation by the actions we take now."

If there is a "history" after you assholes are done playing chess !!!

[Poll_Blind]

3. I find it less like chess and more like a game of Hungry Hungry Hippo.

PB

[JCMach1]

4. Yes, let the Israeli Airfoforce take care of this one...

[midnight armadillo]

35. They can't without US support

At the very least the US would have to supply midair refueling for Israeli planes, their aircraft don't have the range.

[Harper_is_Bush]

11. No, the USA will do it for him. Make no mistake about that.

Now is the time to de-demonize Iran.

What is the truth about this "wipe Israel off the map" claim? Do we know? Should we demand the media find out...probe the controversy rather than just repeating it and allowing others to repeat it unchallanged?

[dkos refugee]

32. it's like...

"axis of evil"

[lumpy]

40. My sentiments exactly.

Israel can fight their own damn wars.

[Leber tsohG]

5. hah!

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert wouldnt be talking so much shit if Iran already had nukes.

Israel is a very small country compared to Iran.. all it would take is one nuke like the ones used in hiroshima and bye bye Israel/Palestine.

tick tock

tick tock

tick tock

[enigma000]

12. It would take more than one bomb

Israel is a small country, but it has several large population centers: Tel Aviv, Haifa, etc. For maximum damage, each of these cities would have to be hit. And my guess, is the Iranians won't have accurate missiles for a while, which should be worrisome for those living in Cairo and Amman.

And the retaliatory strike would be devastating.......

[magellan]

6. Israel needs to grow a pair

Why the hell do they keep running to us when they've proved time and again with the Palestinians that they're capable of the same unthinking brutality as Bush**?

BUGGER OFF, OLMERT.

[acmavm]

7. Why do the keep running to us? Two reasons. The want us to do their

dirty work and they want the American taxpayer to fund it.

[magellan]

17. But why do we keep doing Israel's bidding?

Is it because of big lobbying groups like AIPAC? Or is it more because Israel's a regular customer of the US military-industrial complex (i.e. certain US citizens make $$$$ from the relationship)?

I no longer understand or approve of our continued protection of Israel. We've armed her till she's overwhelmingly the most powerful state in the Middle East, and we still let her treat us like a flunky who's on call 24/7 to run interference. It's irked me for years. When are we going to wean this brat?

edit: left a word out

[lumpy]

41. Of course it's largely AIPAC.

It's like they have duel citizenship and pledge unconditional allegience to two countries,

[Ghost Dog]

8. Answer me this: Does * have a "comprehensive grasp" of any situation?

...Usually I reckon he has no clue, is just a frontman for the mob. Sometimes, though, I wonder if he isn't, in a very 'gutsy', camouflaged and perverse way, far cleverer than he usually makes himself out to be (after all, he's a family scion).

Opinions?

[Poll_Blind]

18. Bush is not as clever as Zaphod Beeblebrox, but...

One of the major difficulties Trillian experienced in her relationship with Zaphod was learning to distinguish between him pretending to be stupid just to get people off their guard, pretending to be stupid because he couldn't be bothered to think and wanted someone else to do it for him, pretending to be so outrageously stupid to hide the fact that he actually didn't understand hat was going on, and really being genuinely stupid. He was reknowned for being quite clever and quite clearly was so -- but not all the time, which obviously worried him, hence the act. He preferred people to be puzzled rather than contemptuous. This above all appeared to Trillian to be genuinely stupid, but she could no longer be bothered to argue about.

Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

PB

[Ghost Dog]

19. I was afraid of that kind of answer: I suspected as much:

:rofl: :bounce: :rofl:

[Earth_First]

9. "a joint meeting of the United States Houses of Congress"

Must be nice to have such unfettered access to our government. There isn't a single world leader who I can recall that has had this level of access to the United States government.

[Ghost Dog]

21. Certainly not 'The Poodle'. n/t

[Hardrada]

30. I think it used to be only Winston Churchill could do that

and he was half-American to begin with.

[Harper_is_Bush]

10. The war is being openly called for now. It will happen, only a matter of

time.

The National Post story claiming Iran would make Jews wear yellow.

The constant repetition from multiple leaders that the Iranian President said he would "wipe Israel off the map"

It is non stop at this point.

What are you going to do about it?

[Ghost Dog]

22. Somethng he did not, in fact, say. n/t

[Harper_is_Bush]

29. Prove it. n/t

[bemildred]

13. Iran offered 'to make peace with Israel'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x212971

[tatertop]

14. bush/olmert are peas in a pod: they shall have their war

[Baclava]

15. What Israel should do is tear down the Dome of the Rock...

Move it to Mecca...then build a new Temple, start the sacrifices and get these endtimes moving...

[Ghost Dog]

23. In a better world, I reckon the UN should occupy Jerusalem

for a while (remember Tangiers?): International City, open to all people, all nationalities, all politics, all religions, diplomacy (as long as you walk in peace).

'Cept, of course, the UN is also seen. for some reason, as 'the enemy' in certain (wealthy, powerful, selfish) quarters...

[IndianaGreen]

16. If Israel wants to do something about Iran, let her!

The US should stay out of the Middle East. If Israel strikes at Iran, Iran will strike back, and then Israel will strike in return, and Iran will hit back. American lives should not be part of that tit-for-tat carnage.

The only reason Olmert wants Bush to attack Iran is that even with the combined attack of Israel and US, there are no guarantees that several days of bombing will succeed in stopping Iran's nuclear program.

The only rational alternative is an Israeli-Iranian version of MAD, in which neither side will use nukes first in the knowledge that the other will retaliate in kind. Israel can no more destroy Iran than Iran can destroy Israel. No Muslim, however radical, will use nukes on Israel, for their use would destroy Muslim holy sites and kill millions of people, many of whom would be Muslims. Israel's best deterrent to nuclear terror are the Muslims that surround her, and that live within her borders.

As to Olmert, someone should warn him about feeding the Messianic fantasies of our emperor!

[Ghost Dog]

27. Yeah. But. Assume that up to now Iran's nuclear tehnology is for energy

only (as they claim, and there is no evidence to the contrary).

Hit them now without jusification and most of the whole world would then consider them (and many others) to be entirely justified in developing very serious weapons with which to defend themselves in the (near) future.

Which would most probably lead to global catastrofe.

The Non-Proliferation Treaty required the existing nuclear weapons powers to disarm, gradually but totally. This is still the only sane course of action. The strong should also refrain from other, non-nuclear, forms of agression: big stick, walk softly.

I, personally, have no children. Your childrens' lives will remember this.

[IndianaGreen]

28. There is no evidence to support US claims that Iran is seeking WMD

Iran has the right to enrich uranium as long as it is done for peaceful purposes:

Article IV

1. Nothing in this Treaty shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination...

http://www.un.org/events/npt2005/npttreaty.html

If nothing else, it is the US that is in violation of the Treaty by developing a new generation of tactical nuclear weapons and for having done nothing to reduce our nuclear stockpile, the largest on the planet:

Article VI

Each of the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.

http://www.un.org/events/npt2005/npttreaty.html

Iran also has the right under the Treaty to withdraw from it, and perhaps it should, in order to put itself on the same moral plane as Israel, a nation which never signed it and that really has nukes:

Article X

1. Each Party shall in exercising its national sovereignty have the right to withdraw from the Treaty if it decides that extraordinary events, related to the subject matter of this Treaty, have jeopardized the supreme interests of its country. It shall give notice of such withdrawal to all other Parties to the Treaty and to the United Nations Security Council three months in advance. Such notice shall include a statement of the extraordinary events it regards as having jeopardized its supreme interests.

http://www.un.org/events/npt2005/npttreaty.html

[dkos refugee]

33. US cannot stay out of the middle east

The only reason Israel has the ability to hurt Iran is because of the US. It's impossible for the US to not be involved because it's our money that funds the Israeli police state.

[daleo]

20. Is he calling for Iran's destruction and elimination?

That's the only way "the (potential) nuclear threat" of any country could ever actually be ended. At any rate, if Iran's president used similar language, that's how most of our media would interpret it.

[Poll_Blind]

25. Take a look at these articles- which I think make things reasonably clear

Ahmedinejad, a psycopath who speaks like Hitler: Olmert

'Iran a threat to western civilization'

PB

[daleo]

39. Well, he said Iran is a threat to western civilization

I guess that must mean he wants to annihilate Iran.

[sarcasmo]

24. The Decider didn't need any help from Israel to bomb Iran.

Wow, looks like WWIII folks. Israel, Britain, and US vs the rest of the world. Things are going to get UGLY.

[Poll_Blind]

26. I really think the UK is willing to sit this one out, Blair's been reamed

...again and again for Iraq. I don't think he has the political clout to go at an attack on Iran, frankly.

PB

[Hardrada]

31. A plague on Bush, Olmert and on both the houses.

[genieroze]

34. PM urges U.S. to end threat of nuclear Iran? Do it yourself.

[joe_shmoe]

36. It's real nice that he's volunteering our kids instead of ours

Can someone pass this test:

Give me 5 reasons Israel is such a good friend? I want 5 reasons that show that this country benefits us.

[Hardrada]

38. Uh, let me think...there's tourism, sights to see.

and......Well , you got me there. I give up.

[joe_shmoe]

37. **PETITION AGAINST MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAN**

It is with grave concern that I observe the growing threat of a new U.S. war--this time against the people of Iran.

For a collection of articles and resources on this subject you can visit this link: http://reseaudesign.com/research/iran/iran_summery.html

I'm starting up a petition which I will be sending out to as many members of Congress as possible. I'm asking for help to get this signed by as many people, possible in the next month. Send it to as many people you can.

http://www.petitiononline.com/n0war1rn /


thanks,
J-shmoe