More Obama magic. Exclusive to the Washington Times:
President Obama’s efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons threaten to expose and derail a 40-year-old secret U.S. agreement to shield Israel’s nuclear weapons from international scrutiny, former and current U.S. and Israeli officials and nuclear specialists say.
The issue will likely come to a head when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Mr. Obama on May 18 in Washington. Mr. Netanyahu is expected to seek assurances from Mr. Obama that he will uphold the U.S. commitment and will not trade Israeli nuclear concessions for Iranian ones.
Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller, speaking Tuesday at a U.N. meeting on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), said Israel should join the treaty, which would require Israel to declare and relinquish its nuclear arsenal.
“Universal adherence to the NPT itself, including by India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea, … remains a fundamental objective of the United States,” Ms. Gottemoeller told the meeting, according to Reuters.
Makes sense, if you are either a repulsively naive multiculturalist, or else a cagey critic of Israel seeking to take advantage of just how deeply the shallow and ultimately totalitarian precepts of multiculturalism have been adopted by the mainstream in order to justify putting a democratic country surrounded by enemies who have vowed to destroy it into “equal” jeopardy by taking away its means of deterrence.
Which way you think the Obama administration falls depends on how nefarious — vs. how truly clueless about foreign affairs — you believe the current administration to be.
[…]
For the past 40 years, Israel and the U.S. have kept quiet about an Israeli nuclear arsenal that is now estimated at 80 to 200 weapons. Israel has promised not to test nuclear weapons while the U.S. has not pressed Israel to sign the nuclear NPT, which permits only five countries – the U.S., France, Britain, China and Russia – to have nuclear arms.
The U.S. also has opposed most regional calls for a “nuclear-free Middle East.” The accord was forged at a summit between Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and President Nixon on Sept. 25, 1969, according to recently released documents, but remains so secret that there is no explicit record of it. Mr. Cohen has referred to the deal as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” because it commits both the U.S. and Israel never to acknowledge in public Israels nuclear arsenal.
When asked what the Obama administration’s position was on the 1969 understanding, the senior White House official offered no comment.
[…]
The Obama administration is seeking talks with Iran on its nuclear program and has dropped a precondition for negotiations that Iran first suspend its uranium enrichment program.
“What the Israelis sense, rightly, is that Obama wants to do something new on Iran and this may very well involve doing something new about Israel’s program,” said Henry Sokolski, executive director of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, a Washington think tank.
Bruce Riedel, a former senior director for the Middle East and South Asia on the White House National Security Council, said, “If you’re really serious about a deal with Iran, Israel has to come out of the closet. A policy based on fiction and double standards is bound to fail sooner or later. What’s remarkable is that it’s lasted so long.” Mr. Riedel headed the Obama administration’s review of strategy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan but does not hold a permanent administration position and has returned to private life as a scholar at the Brookings Institution.
[…]
Israel began its nuclear program shortly after the state was founded in 1948 and produced its first weapons, according to Mr. Cohen’s book, on the eve of the 1967 Six-Day War. Israeli defense doctrine considers the nuclear arsenal to be a strategic deterrent against extinction. But its nuclear monopoly is increasingly jeopardized by Iranian advances and the possibility that Iran’s program could trigger a nuclear arms race in the region.
[…]
U.S. allies Egypt and Saudi Arabia also have pressed the U.S. to link Israel’s weapons to Iran’s as part of a plan to implement a nuclear-free Middle East.
A proposal to introduce a Security Council resolution declaring the Middle East a nuclear-free zone and calling for sanctions against those countries that did not comply was broached in a 2006 strategic dialogue between Saudi Arabia and the United States, said Turki al-Faisal, who was Saudi ambassador to the U.S.
“When I talked to American officials about that when I was ambassador here, and before that to British officials in the U.K., the immediate response was, ‘Israel is not going to accept,’ ” Prince Turki told editors and reporters of The Washington Times last month. “And my immediate response was, ‘So what?’ If Israel doesnt accept, it doesnt mean its a bad idea.”
[…]
Mr. Obama has made nuclear disarmament a bigger priority in part to undercut Iran’s and North Korea’s rationale for proliferation. His administration has begun negotiations with Russia on a new treaty to reduce U.S. and Russian arsenals. He also has expressed support for the fissile material treaty.
“To cut off the building blocks needed for a bomb, the United States will seek a new treaty that verifiably ends the production of fissile materials intended for use in state nuclear weapons,” he said last month in Prague. “If we are serious about stopping the spread of these weapons, then we should put an end to the dedicated production of weapons-grade materials that create them.”
John R. Bolton, a former U.N. ambassador and undersecretary of state, said Israel was right to be concerned.
“If I were the Israeli government, I would be very worried about the Obama administration’s attitude on their nuclear deterrent,” he said. “You can barely raise the subject of nuclear weapons in the Middle East without someone saying: ‘What about Israel?’ If Israel’s opponents put it on the table, it is entirely possible Obama will pick it up.”
Asked about the issue, Jonathan Peled, spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Washington, said, “We don’t discuss the strategic relationship between the United States and Israel.” The White House had no immediate comment.
However, Ms. Gottemoeller endorsed the concept of a nuclear-free Middle East in a 2005 paper that she co-authored, “Universal Compliance: A Strategy for Nuclear Security.”
“Instead of defensively trying to ignore Israels nuclear status, the United States and Israel should proactively call for regional dialogue to specify the conditions necessary to achieve a zone free of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons,” she wrote.
The paper recommends that Israel take steps to disarm in exchange for its neighbors getting rid of chemical and biological weapons programs as well as Iran forgoing uranium enrichment.
Of course.
And we all know how committed to treaties are the Arab and Persian states — and more, how committed the UN is to enforcing such treaties.
Well, other than sending in a few hamstrung inspectors, and then issuing sternly-worded letters of condemnation.
Than it’s right back to the business of holding “Zionism is Racism” conferences.
Were I Israel, I’d chuckle at Obama — if I weren’t so terrified that he’d begin to use our media and the international press to let Israel know that the US can no longer be counted on to support Israel unless and until they make the kinds of concessions that would almost certainly lead them into wide ranging wars.
That’s just the kind of potentate Obama is trying to be.
(h/t geoff b)
Uh-huh.
Good luck sellin’ that to Bibi.
The Mad Mullahs and the Hermit Kingdom will never give up their nuclear weapons programs voluntarily no matter how much the UN hems and hahs. Oh, they may make a show of “suspending” them, like Kim Jong Il did but, like he did once already, they just laugh at the UN “negotiators” as soon as they turn their backs.
Of all our allies who might take over leading the free world after America bugs out, Israel’s the only one with the stones to do what needs to be done. So I would expect an enemy of freedom to target Israel, not the “leader of the free world.”
So, am I missing something, or just pretending to miss something to make a point?
What’s sad is that the logical course of action is for the Israelis to say, “Of course we’ll give up our nuclear arsenal. We never really had it in the first place.” And then let the UN inspectors wander around for a couple of years until they’re satisfied.
That’s not the sad part, though. The sad part comes when one of the neighbors decides that Israel is ripe for the picking, and gives it a try. And suddenly a good chunk of desert gets turned to glass in an event nobody can explain, since nobody in that part of the world has nuclear weapons any more.
I’m telling ya, the next ten years are gonna make Tom Clancy look like a friggin’ documentary writer.
I first saw this a couple of days ago and wondered why no one was talking about it. I wonder if the 78% of Jews who voted for Teh One are confident they made the right choice?
Heh, Squid.
On the one hand, the NPT is kind of a joke.
On the other hand, it isn’t funny.
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And everyone knows how frightened Third World authoritarians are of the dreaded “sternly-worded letter” from the U(seless) N(innies).
Currently, thinking on US-Israeli relations is looking like the days of yore, reading the tea leaves interpreted by Kremlinologists, each with their own little axes to grind, built right into their analyses. Who visited, who flew, who called, who coordinated, who briefed, who consulted and everyone uncertain. Meant to be.
Apparently part of the “Change” from the Obama administration is to the idea of “Never Again”.
Abandon Israel to its destruction? YES WE CAN!
“We will write you a letter in which we will say how very angry we are with you”
“Hans, you’re busting my balls, Hans, busting my balls”
“The issue will likely come to a head when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Mr. Obama on May 18 in Washington.”
Here’s hoping that Benny tells Barack to fuck off.
Bibi, not Benny.
[slaps own head]
Bibi 2012!
Seriously, is it too much to ask that the US could find a Presidential candidate like Netanyahu. Dude rocks my world and in a non-gay way.
dunno #3. I think appointing the Israelis heir to the leadership of the free world is a tad much.
the Israeli left is far, far worse than ours and as such, often appears it cant lead itself to the men’s room successfully. Maybe #1 is more on point there.
I think this particular asninity is being way misread here. It is likely dead on arrival and meant to be so. I would venture it is a political sop, with the Israeli’s fully in the loop, to Arab states for some key WoT concessions.
Bolton’s quote is the key here: “You can barely raise the subject of nuclear weapons in the Middle East without someone saying: ‘What about Israel?’ This is very true. It is a military and diplomatic obsession of the Arab elites, regardless of their politics. It is the only thing that unifies the Saudi’s and Iranian for instance.
So some Arab diplomat in Washington, pressed by his ruler (who is perenially taking heat for being both too aggreable to the US and not doing “something” about “The Jews” and those clowns who are equally disdained and ignored by the rest of the Arabs, “The Palestinians”), proposes this and gets DC to bite–A) Because we are in some risible era of fake friendship or some such, and B) we are percieved as being a lot less strong and impressive than we used to be. In 02-03, NO ONE would have even have broached this in DC; after nearly 40k dead and wounded in Iraq, the economy being what it is and a genuine liberal in the White House, the time is perfect.
The Arab diplomat gets DC to do something for his otherwise worthless (save for oil) fucking sandstrip (a victory), the Ruler gets to boast in his local, state-owned media about getting POTUS to bend to his will, we get some dirty, sneaky spy-shit accomplished or at least off the ground, and Israel gets to help us out. Its unpleasant, but its the least they could do.
The logical solution for Israel would be to tell Obama, privately, that if he insists on putting them in a position of “use it or lose it,” Mr Obama would not like the choice Israel will make.
I’ll take a former Captain in the IDF over a former Chicago street activist any day.
he rocks my world
in a gay way…
oh/snap…
can i withdraw that…
is this on my hard-drive?
I’ll take a former Captain in the IDF over a former Chicago street activist any day.
I’d agree with you 100%, but Ehud Barak is considered the greatest commando/ special forces soldier that Israel ever had, so its not a perfect formulation.
Im still a Bibi fan, but plenty of hard guys go soft in the big chair.
Is your antecedent to “this” intended to be restricted to the “…Gottemoeller, speaking Tuesday at a U.N. meeting on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), said Israel should join the treaty…” mcgruder, or does it go further than that?
Sdferr:
its all designed to buy cheap political grace at someone else’s political expense
bonus points for The annointed one: props from the US left for putting a little sand in the Israelis soup bowl.
Canadian peoples have stones mostly they just got their government and media all gayed up like ours.
It unifies more than the Saudi’s and Iranians I’m afraid.
Obama wants us to be more like Europe, right…?
Well, yes and no.
Besides Alberta, and a few regions of Saskatchewan and B.C., they’re pretty much like the French.
You’re right I was mostly thinking of Alberta and also that one Canadian guy what plays golf all the time.
oh. And Afghanistan.
Besides Alberta, and a few regions of Saskatchewan and B.C.
Yukon too, I think.
Yeah, I think you’re right SBP, both those guys are pretty right leaning…
=-)
Yep. The Canadian military has been punching above their weight class for years. Also, there’s the “Mounties” too.
#15. “the Israeli left is far, far worse than ours and as such, often appears it cant lead itself to the men’s room successfully.”
I’m watching Obrother and I don’t see the difference.
Anyway, who else on our side has ever taken responsibility for their own defense, since WW2?
Only us, and them. If we go down thanks to Obrother, it’ll be up to them.
Yeah, I think you’re right SBP, both those guys are pretty right leaning…
Hmm… Republic of all the red states on this map, plus Alberta and Yukon?
If a chunk of the NWT and/or BC could be convinced to join, that would give a nice contiguous chunk of land.
Even more so if the invading Californians could be persuaded to leave Colorado and New Mexico.
Can Netanyahu keep his coalition together under economic and political pressure from the US and the Europeans. It is a parliamentary system so it can happen at any time.
If he falls the left in Israel could get back in and if they are pressured to dismantle the nukes in return for mirage of peace, they may take it.
Netanyahu didn’t win by the margin of victory that the gross incompetence of the previous government should have delivered.
“How secret is this agreement?”
If you’re referring to the rather open secret of Israel’s nuke capability, not very. But having the the U.S. gov’t contractually protecting them from scrutiny, well, yeah, it very uh … used to be.
But having the the U.S. gov’t contractually protecting them from scrutiny, well, yeah, it very uh … used to be.
There’s a lot of that going around these days. I tell ya, it’s like a flu or something. Remember it’s always easier to keep a secret if one of the two who know is dead.
Guess who gets to die in this little roundabout.
Oops. Darn open tags. Sorry!
Slightly OT: Oblammo’s going to Germany to apologize for the suffering the Allies put the Germans through during WWII. I believe he also may apologize for the pollution and global warming that the Jews caused by being cremated in the ovens.
“Oh No! Hans Brix!”
Maybe Obama can do a preemptive strike against our enemies in the Middle East
Oh
I was thinking about Iran but then I thought hey, lets just wipe out Israel to show how cosmopolitan we are
How secret is anything once a Democrat gets briefed?
Have secret, will demagogue.
How soon it becomes universally known depends on whether the NY Times has said Democrat wearing a wire or not…
How politically expedient is it to leak? Or what’s in it for the Dems to keep it secret? Prices it’s all about prices with the socialists. Their religion being an “economic theory”.
Isn’t that the Left’s gold standard for policy? All policy.
Obama to American Jews, “You fucked up, you trusted me!” And Rahm Emanuel, “fuck you too.”
Happyfeet @ 21
Thanks Happyfeet.
I was going to make a fridge magnet of the info on the link to send to you just in case, because, well, just in case you’re in a hurry all of a sudden one day, but then I looked at it, and well it would pretty well have to be a magnetic fridge door.
We do get all, and I mean all, your mediums, and if the mainstream is to be believed, all Americans are tickled pink to awake in a worker’s paradise…but somehow, I don’t think that necessarily true for you.
Same with us.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canada-United_States_border_crossings
Your musings are amusing. And pithy.
Think yew
#30 – this is why, I think, meya, that people are so hard on you. That is a facile and stupid thing to say. The existance of the treaty may not be secret – but do you know the terms of it? When that stuff starts getting leaked out by Dem operatives thru the NYT sieve, and even Jimmy Carter managed to keep that crap under wraps….you have gone to a new low.
Eat me.
Right. Nobody likes to be told they’re not good enough for the big leagues. I get that. But until Don Cherry or somebody like him gets to run things in Canada, Canada’s not good enough for the big leagues.
Sorry.
But until Don Cherry or somebody like him gets to run things in Canada, Canada’s not good enough for the big leagues.
Exactly.
And Obamis XIV will soon settle our hash, so neither will we.
I rented a house way out in the boondocks a decade or two ago that came with one of those big-ass satellite dishes that could pick up all kinds of direct feeds they send the local stations, including the CBC and Hockey Night in Canada. Don Cherry made me a hockey fan, dude totally rocks. My two favorite moments were when he called Peter Forsberg a back-stabbing little weasel and said the refs were turning the NHL into the Italian Soccer League by calling to many bullshit fouls.
I lurvz teh Grapes.
Nobody likes to be told they’re not good enough for the big leagues.
Depends.
Original six, or post-expansion?
And Obamis XIV will soon settle our hash, so neither will we.
Be.
Good enough.
Maybe we can bang one in off Jintao’s skate.
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