It’s hard to know how much to credit anything published in the Wall Street Journal. But in an article that raises the temperature a few degrees higher than it already is, the reporters say that U.S. officials are growning more worried about an Israeli attack on Iran. They have put a full court press on Israel to stop them from striking. But they really have very little control, if you can believe the WSJ, over what Israel does. Further, the U.S. government is simply flying blind since it has no backdoor access to intelligence information about internal Israeli political deliberations. In other words, Israel spies on us but we don’t spy on them:
Some American intelligence officials complain that Israel represents a blind spot in U.S. intelligence, which devotes little resources to Israel. Some officials have long argued that, given the potential for Israel to drag the U.S. into potentially explosive situations, the U.S. should devote more resources to divining Israel’s true intentions.
They’re of course talking about Israeli itself because I and readers of my blog know first hand from the Shamai Leibowitz story that the U.S. does spy on Israeli diplomats in this country when it has the opportunity of doing so. But I do think that the U.S. is largely at sea when it comes to knowing what the Israelis really think. And Israel uses this opacity to its advantage by keeping us guessing. Our uncertainty gives them maximum leeway to operate. If the bombs do fall, Barack Obama is liable to be one of the last to know about it if the Israelis have anything to say about it.
This is why I’m always tickled by the false notion that the pro-Israel lobby and neocons spin about Israel being our closest ally in the world, and by the claim that our interests are identical to Israel’s. It’s amazing that Aipac and its friends have pulled the wool over the eyes of Americans, who don’t understand that Israel’s interests are Israel’s. And that Israel pursues those interests intensively and right up the edge of legality (and sometimes beyond it).
The WSJ article also trumpets how worried the U.S. is and how urgently it’s imploring Bibi not to attack, but then it adds this little nugget:
In large measure to deter Iran, the U.S. has 15,000 troops in Kuwait, and has moved a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf area.
It has also been pre-positioning aircraft and other military equipment, officials say. Arms transfers to key allies in the Gulf, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have been fast-tracked as a further deterrent, officials say.
What possible purpose can there be to adding even more armaments to the powder keg that is the Persian Gulf region, other than for attacking Iran if it has the chutzpah to respond to an Israeli attack. I hope to God no one is going to tell me that these weapons are to deter an Iranian first strike. You’d have to be stark mad to believe Iran would attack first with this array prepared against them.
But if Iran responds, it appears the U.S. wants to be able to use maximum firepower to join in the fight and teach Iran a final lesson about who’s the boss in the Middle East.
Bibi is afraid to attack Iran,the implications and consequences of such an attack are simply beyond his capabilities.Despite his impressive military past and his fervent nationalism,he never liked to put his ass on the line. One false move in an “Attack on Iran” scenario and he’s history (at best), not to mention the consequences for Israel.
Fortunately for Bibi, President Obama who is less than ten months from elections is even more
afraid to dabble in a military confrontation that he does not really understand and which is too much of a wildcard in an election year.
So Bibi pretends that he’s about to attack Iran in order to gain concessions from Obama and at the same time he tells his own people that he’s itching to attack but that the Americans are holding him back, President Obama is the man of reason searching for a peaceful compromise to avoid war and the Iranians use the assassinations and the threat of an attack to subdue dissent within Iran.
It reminds me of the skit where one of two fools engaged in a volatile argument that is about to turn violent shouts out to the bystanders…”I’ll kill him!…..for the love of G_d will somebody please hold me back before I kill him”
owner of this site, you help Israel enemies by publishing in this site, dont forget that you jew and on which side you should be.Dont mistake most arabs want to see you and me in the see, ok? Good day
RE: “Dont mistake most arabs want to see you and me in the see…” ~ yaron
MY COMMENT: So, it’s only the Arabs that want to see you in the “see”? What about the Persians?
P.S. FROM A FILM REVIEW BY GILAD ATZMAN:
“Defamation” can be streamed from Netflix (91 minutes) – http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Defamation/70117001
“Defamation” is also on YouTube (VIDEO 1:31:18) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOUlJLrQ3sQ
@dickerson3870
I do not agree with you when you write “indoctrinated into…. total neurosis” collective anxiety,yes! but “total neurosis” no! just enough to keep us on our toes.
“aggressive vulgar orchestrated amplification of fear” …….I’d leave out the word vulgar but it is somewhat aggressive and it is orchestrated.
Well,not to be distracted,I watched the film and I want to thank you…..touché!…..it’s time to move on but not to forget,living in the present is never easy.