US, Britain urge Israel not to attack Iran

AP via MSNBC ^ | February 19, 2012 | JOSEF FEDERMAN

[John W]

JERUSALEM — The U.S. and Britain on Sunday urged Israel not to attack Iran's nuclear program as the White House's national security adviser arrived in the region, reflecting growing international jitters that the Israelis are poised to strike.

In their warnings, both the U.S. joint chiefs of staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, and British Foreign Minister William Hague said an Israeli attack on Iran would have grave consequences for the entire region and urged Israel to give international sanctions against Iran more time to work. Dempsey said an Israeli attack is "not prudent," and Hague said it would not be "a wise thing."

[U-238]

Von Clauswitz would agree with me, but modern technology has made things a little diffrent

[mojito]

The Israelis know one big thing: That the Narcissist in Chief cares far more about his re-election than he he does about Israeli, and for that matter, even US security.

An Israeli attack on Iran is opposed by the Obama White House not because the security reasons for doing so are not compelling, but because it would complicate his campaign strategy if Obama were forced to deal with the fallout, literally, of such an attack.

So the Zero WH is essentially telling the Israelis that His Majesty's reelection is more important than the survival of the State of Israel.

I leave you to guess the Israeli response to that.

[Lancey Howard]

I don’t understand.
Why not stand back and let Israel do what Israel believes is in its best interests?

OH... Wait. I get it.
Ubama needs to preach peace and diplomacy now, so that when he “reluctantly” gets the US involved in the Israel-Iran war, he can say he did everything he could to avoid military action. It’s funny how these plans always come together so nicely in an election year. In this case, the plan for war is the Democrat campaign strategy. Americans, the theory goes, do not like to fire war-time presidents.

[rbg81]

Uh, huh. And if Iran were to attack Israel with nukes, there would be calls for the remnants of the Israeli people to show “restraint”.

[Steve Newton]

Awwww

Finally

AGREED

[arthurus]

Publicly making these suggestions is an indication that they are for public consumption and do not represent the actual status of the relationship. It is part of the diplomacy and politics. One does not know from these things what the actual American position is.
I suspect that an attack this summer by the US or with US participation is in the cards, especially if the kenyan worries that he might not be re-elected.

[arthurus]

Abetting.

[Yulee]

Won’t make a difference. The Iranian’s view is that the Mahdi will win out and their deaths will take them immediately to Paradise. You can’t reason with Iran, any more than you could reason with Japanese soldiers during WWII, who were willing to die for their god the Emperor.

[John W]

So, skip the warning and move on.

[Oatka]

The UK, the UK, weren’t those the guys that signed a piece of paper with Hitler?

[John W]

Ouch.

[Truth29]

More of Obama leading from behind. He won't come out of the closet and attack Israel directly, but he will run interference for Iran and the Islamists taking over Egypt and the rest of North Africa until they can attack Israel.

[elpadre]

the UK was the target of Hitler's attempt to bomb them back to the stone ages.

[DNA.2012]

I could care less if the Jews blew Iran off the map.

So you're perfectly fine with killing millions of innocent children in Iran.

[John W]

I would prefer Iran’s innocent children to ours.

[Artcore]

If I were Israel, I'd tell the Kenyan to go F-himself. The good thing is that Israel now understands completely that Obama is a POS, antisemitic, Muslim that desires their destruction.

FUBO!

[Longbow1969]

However, what I do mind is the hypocrisy of our goverment providing the "bunkerbuster bombs" to Israel then telling Israel not to use them.

All this talk is mind games and smoke and mirrors anyway. These statements are mostly meaningless unless you can know whose ears they are meant for. Sometimes when the US or others want to rattle Iran they go out and warn Israel it might not be a good idea to bomb Tehran. Rather than a real warning to Israel, it could just be a threat to Iran that Israel might strike and they should be good and cooperate because the US/UK might not be able to stop Israel. I wouldn't read much into a diplomatic doublespeak like this.

[John W]

I would agree with yours and other similar responses on this thread were we living in normal times when the United States was governed by someone who we at least had an inkling might be an American with America’s best interests at heart. These are not those normal times.

[Waverunner]

In a related story, England and France suggest Czechoslovakia not antagonize Nazi Germany and accept absorption into the Greater Reich. Chamberlin proclaims :”PEACE IN OUR TIME”

[Waverunner]