The Neo-cons Ignored Israeli Warning Not to Attack Iraq, Back In 2001!

[Middle finga]

Lawrence Wilkerson was former chief of staff for Secretary of State Colin Powell, up from being a member of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff. In an interview with IPS Wilkerson said that the Israeli reaction to news that the Bushites wanted to attack Iraq was an immediate rejection of such an idea. "The Israelis were telling us Iraq is not the enemy - Iran is the enemy." Wilkerson said that the Israeli reaction to invading Iraq in early 2002, was, "If you are going to destabilize the balance of power, do it against the main enemy."

Wilkerson said that Israeli warnings against invading of Iraq were "pervasive." A far ranging, unanimous feeling, and outspoken suggestions were that Invasion of Iraq was not a very good idea, to say the least. This sentiment came from Israeli intelligence reports, Israeli politicians, and friends living in Israel.
Wilkerson said that the Israeli's tried to impress upon the Bushites that it was not advocating an immediate invasion of Iran either, but was saying that the United States, should focus on Iran and "...should not be distracted by Iraq and Saddam Hussein."

-snip-

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, upon first hearing of the idea of attacking Iraq, immediately requested a meeting with the President on the subject. Sharon's plan was to attempt to talk Bush out of such a plan. Moreover, for weeks before the Sharon/Bush meeting a variety of Israeli leaders hammered away at the Bushites that Iran should be the target of choice if there must be war, because they were the greater threat to Israel and the entire region. In fact, the day before the Sharon/Bush meeting, the Washington Post published the Israeli message. "Today, everybody is busy with Iraq. Iraq is a problem...But you should understand, if you ask me, today Iran is more dangerous than Iraq," the Washington Post reported that the primary quote came from Israeli Defense Minister Fouad Ben-Eliezer, who was in Washington along with Sharon for that meeting.

-snip-

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_professo_070830_re_confirmation_2c_tha.htm

[liberalhistorian]

1. And yet now they have no problem with encouraging us

to "take strong action" against Iran. Yeah, right, that'll work out even better than Iraq. :eyes: :mad:

[Double T]

2. The PNAC and AEI agenda was NOT to be thwarted by ANYONE...........

and will continue UNLESS congress does something to STOP IT!!!

[Tom Joad]

3. Israel's Olmert clearly supports Bush's desire to continue the occupation.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1173700695437&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert waded into the thick of America's messy political debate on Iraq late Monday night when he told thousands of AIPAC supporters that "premature" withdrawal from the country could harm Israel and efforts against Iran.

Olmert stressed that he didn't want "to enter American politics" with his comments and that they didn't stem from his strong personal friendship with US President George W. Bush.

Olmert urges US to stand firm on Iraq

But the move was a sharp departure from Israel's recent policy of saying little on the war in Iraq and avoiding any display of partisanship. It comes at a time when the Democrats have been harshly critical of the White House's handling of the effort and most voices backing a long-term US presence come from the Bush administration and its supporters.

"Those who are concerned for Israel's security, for the security of the Gulf states, and for the stability of the entire Middle East, should recognize the need for American success in Iraq, and responsible exit," Olmert said.

[View from Here]

4. So much for listening to our "ally"

In fact, the Israelis also warned the Americans that they were vulnerable to having airplanes flown into skyscrapers. The warnings were ignored, because it was determined it would cost more to strengthen cockpit doors than to absorb the cost of an eventual attack.

[Briar]

5. What a convenient "revelation"

now that Israel is longing to see the US nuke Iran back into the stone age (or whatever brutalist cliche is now the fashion in Tel Aviv and Washington).