Posted on 09/21/2002 3:02:55 PM PDT by ex-Texan
Israel Tells the U.S. It Will Retaliate if Attacked by Iraq
By MICHAEL R. GORDON
JERUSALEM, Sept. 21 — Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has informed the Bush administration that he plans to strike back if Iraq attacks Israel, according to Israeli and Western officials.
Mr. Sharon's statements, made privately to senior American officials in recent weeks, represent a major shift in Israeli thinking since the 1991 Persian Gulf war, when 39 Iraqi Scud missiles struck without any Israeli response.
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The prime minister's position reflects a widespread belief among Israeli politicians and generals that Arab leaders perceived Israel's restraint in 1991 as weakness. Throughout his military and political career, Mr. Sharon has always held that any attack on Israel must be promptly and powerfully punished.
"I don't think there is a scenario in which Israel will get hit and not strike back," a senior Western official said. "I think the evolving strategy will be commensurate response."
Mr. Sharon's position has significant implications for the Pentagon, which fears that an Israeli entry would stir up Arab public opinion and make it harder for the Pentagon to maintain cooperation from the Arab states where Washington hopes to base American forces
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Frankly, they should learn to control THEMSELVES better. Last chances are coming soon.
If Mr. Sharon's response puts US forces at risk, Mr. Sharon needs to learn to stay out. If he doesn't, the United States military should be prepared to address IDF action as a potential threat to our forces and should move to protect our national interests BEFORE Israel's.
As I have said in previous postings, the IDF is NOT our Pentagon. They should not be called upon to do our proxy fighting. If we believe that our nation has been attacked, we should address the situation with the perpetrator... any perpetrator... including if Israel's action costs American lives.
baloney... bring it on. WE DO understand it. Munitions ARE irrelevant, that is, in the USA where we are loathe to use them even in self defense without international approval... Israel has it right. NO arab state or collection thereof could defeat Israel... and it would be over this time next week... Sadaam included.
The USA KNEW they were going to do this. This is the final roundup before we take down sadaam... and may infact be baiting our pseudo "friends" to reveal their true colors, JUST before we crush them to powder...
LEVEL the playing field... enough of the arabislamofascist rabble rousers! the arab nation is going to receive its comeuppance sooner or later... better NOW before they have 200 icbms...
If the Israeli gov't really gives a damn about the US population why is this the quote in another thread?
Quote: "I say with my hand on my heart, not just to calm everyone, that the state of Israel is ready," Shiri said. "It would be easier for them to carry out a biological attack on even the United States than Israel."
Gee.... with friends like that... who needs Al Queda!
Secondly, what "world stability" are you speaking of? The Middle East is a cesspool of Arab terrorists and instability, and Israel and America are fighting the same war against similiar (and some identical) foes. Whether you like it or not, the IDF and the U.S. military are working very closely with each other, and I seriously doubt that either would be in harms way if the other decided to retaliate with major weapons (like nukes). And make no mistake about it, if Israel is attacked with WMD, and the perpetrator can be identified, that particular Arab sandpit will be incinerated in short order.
And btw, your suggestion that the U.S. would fight the IDF if Israel threatened our oil interests is laughably naive. Where'd you get that gem from, The Spotlight? ...LOL. We've recently cut major deals with Russia for their Caspian Sea oil, and we're probably going to be temporarily annexing some Iraqi fields as well in the upcoming war. We'll extract what we need to pay off some debt and secure the free flow of oil for U.S. consumers for the forseeable future.
Relax, and enjoy.
Saddam, you have been warned.
You got nothing to prove that point other than pure supposition.
The fact is that YES the US needs to address the threat of Saddam Hussein, but NO we don't need Israel F'ing it up for our troops.
At this point, the citizens in Israel should issue defensive protective gear, vaccinate their population, and then hunker down. The USA has the ball and the allies will need to address Iraq without Israel's interference. In fact, the more Sharon talks, the more he screws up our national interest. Although I applaud his remarkable record as a general, his skill as a politician leaves much to be desired.
.... SCREW arab opinion!!!
WE saw their vaunted "opinions" on september eleven.. f@#kers were dancing with glee in the streets... time to put them in sack cloth and ashes...
We should not give a d@mn about their opinions, their stupid antichrist religions, or their arab "sensitivities" and general p2n1s envy of the west...
They want seventh century... and are forcing it on the rest of the civilized world... it's time to go barbaric on them. There is no god called allah... and he has no respect for peace.
It is time we sought justice as a nation for what has been done to us... those that rejoiced in our sorrow, must be made to weep in sack cloth and ashes over their own stupidity...
Justice will be served...
By the same token, out Pentagon is not their IDF. If they are attacked, why should they not strike back?
Drew Garrett
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