Bolton: ‘Pressure’ Is On Israel To Strike Iran Because NIE Made U.S. Attack ‘Highly Unlikely’

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"In December, after the new NIE on Iran was released, former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton established himself as one of the top hawks trying to undermine its credibility, going so far as to call for a congressional witch-hunt into anti-Bush “people in the intelligence community.”

During his trip to Israel this week for the the Herzliya Conference, Bolton has ratcheted up his criticisms of the report, saying on Sunday that the “illegitimate politicization” of the NIE was “a quasi-coup by the intelligence services.”

On Monday, Bolton said that the NIE put "pressure" on Israel to strike Iran because "the likelihood of American use of force has been dramatically reduced":

"One can say with some assurance that in the next year the use of force by the United States is highly unlikely," Bolton told AFP on the sidelines of the Herzliya conference on the balance of Israel’s national security.

"That increases the pressure on Israel in that period of time… if it feels Iran is on the verge of acquiring that capability, it brings the decision point home to use force," he said.

Reacting to Bolton, a "senior Israeli security official" told Agence France-Presse that "one should listen very closely to what Bolton has to say."

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[wtmusic]

1. Pressure is on Bolton to STFU. nt

[LeftishBrit]

2. Two comments to Mr. Bolton:

(With regard to Israel): When did President Peres or PM Olmert resign and ask you to take over??? I must have missed that!

(With regard to his general position): What part of "You're Fired!" did you not understand?

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LeftishBrit]

4. Whatever one thinks of Bolton - and I don't think much of him - he is certainly a CITIZEN of the

United States!

He was born in Baltimore, Maryland.

Implying that people who do bad things, or with whom one disagrees, are not citizens of one's country is a pretty right-wing tactic IMO. I've often seen RW-ers accuse liberals of 'not being real Americans'.

[Vegasaurus]

5. The ole

"operative of Israel" schtick. Excellent form.

[LeftishBrit]

6. I had always thought that one was reserved for Jews, oops, I mean 'Zionists'

Novel to see it used for a WASP!

[peacetalksforall]

10. Protestant or Jew - has nothing to do with it. It's the agenda and zeal, the abuse and mis-use..

An agenda that involves peace and peace seekers could make me change my mind quickly.

I cannot support perpetual war and that is what I am referring to when I say agenda.

I resent like hell that our children are suffering to pay for perpetual war.

It's not the fault of we citizens that our leadership gave Israel nuclear secrets and components (and people) and then also sold it or traded it to their neiboring countries.

I despeise eye for an eye. I cannot accept it if we pay.

A person has to attempt not to infer anti-anything just because deals are always being made to keep up a war - and that we, the citizens, can't vote get out of this trap.

Aid to a country is one thing - killing our kids and their kids is something else.

[peacetalksforall]

8. OK you're right - make that 'my concept of a citizen'. Any citizen who puts

the Israeli agenda before ours or uses our money and our children for a single or combined agenda that involves killing, exile, toroture, torment, missing limbs or minds, plundering, lies, theft is my idea of a poor citizen. Being a citizen carries a certain kind of responsiblity.

[LeftishBrit]

9. Sounds more like...

he's trying to get Israel (where he is certainly not a citizen) to follow *his* agenda - perhaps because America wouldn't. And I doubt that Israel will either.

[bemildred]

7. I don't get it?

Why is anyone giving this discredited loser print space or air time?

[Tom Joad]

11. that man, bolton, just aches for war with Iran.

Maybe the word is absolute Lust with war. No wonder he is so popular with the aipac crowd. I don't think aipac "controls" Bolton, i think they use each other. It is a love affair.

Be sure to read the conversation he had with aipac.
http://www.stopaipac.org/boltontape.htm
The part where he says he wanted Iran to throw out arms inspectors was the the part of the audio tape that can be heard here. But there is another part where you can hear the awe and love the aipac groupies bestow on Bolton. It could almost be R rated, the passion is so fierce.