After spending a long weekend with some grad school buddies just before Netanyahu's speech to the House where the points of view ranged from a that of an ADL board member to those of some former Marines/arch conservatives, to those with more moderate views. I was very interested in Netanyahu's speech and election. Now that Netanyahu has had his day with Congress and won reelection followed by his recanting his positions about too many Israeli Arabs voting and avowing there would be NO Palestinian state while he was in office, how does all this net out for Israel? Better or worse?
POLL: Did Netanyahu help or hurt Israel's security?
- Thread starter WATU2
- Start date
Here's a better question.
Did Netanyahu's election make Israel a safer place for both Jews and arabs-Muslims to live? Answer is yes/obviously!
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Where is JFK when you need him? In 1962 he challenged the Russians with a speech that if missiles were fired from Cuba on the USA, it would be considered an attack by the USSR on the USA and would require us to "retaliate" against the Russians directly ( and that made the Russians back off).
In the light of what may occur to Israel in the very near future when Iran gets the bomb, we need a President who is willing to commit to the same mindset to help out the Jews - if Iran fires a first strike at Israel, it would be treated the same as an attack on the US and would cause us to commit to a "full retaliatory response (JFK)" toward the Iranians. But of course we'd need a president who has the "nads" to say it. Obama has neither the nads nor the Israeli love to do that.
Did Netanyahu's election make Israel a safer place for both Jews and arabs-Muslims to live? Answer is yes/obviously!
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Where is JFK when you need him? In 1962 he challenged the Russians with a speech that if missiles were fired from Cuba on the USA, it would be considered an attack by the USSR on the USA and would require us to "retaliate" against the Russians directly ( and that made the Russians back off).
In the light of what may occur to Israel in the very near future when Iran gets the bomb, we need a President who is willing to commit to the same mindset to help out the Jews - if Iran fires a first strike at Israel, it would be treated the same as an attack on the US and would cause us to commit to a "full retaliatory response (JFK)" toward the Iranians. But of course we'd need a president who has the "nads" to say it. Obama has neither the nads nor the Israeli love to do that.
I voted "better" but truth be told none of us know the answer. I assume Net has one true objective...the longterm security of Israel. I'm not sure where Obama's true alliance is thus Net got my vote. Plus, I assume Israel has damn good intelligence on the ground over there.
Two years ago Obama was lecturing us what a great ally Putin was to the U.S. despite being warned to the contrary. Is he making a similar mistake with Iran and Israel? Sad to say we won't know until he's well out of office and it's too late to change course.
Two years ago Obama was lecturing us what a great ally Putin was to the U.S. despite being warned to the contrary. Is he making a similar mistake with Iran and Israel? Sad to say we won't know until he's well out of office and it's too late to change course.
Iran doesn't appear to be cooperating with U.N. Inspectors.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/un-nuclear-watchdog-iran-not-providing-needed-information-access/2015/03/24/6557b24a-d23d-11e4-8fce-3941fc548f1c_story.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/un-nuclear-watchdog-iran-not-providing-needed-information-access/2015/03/24/6557b24a-d23d-11e4-8fce-3941fc548f1c_story.html
Dangerously off topic comments follow in response to Lawpoke87 so my apologies in advance. Couldn't care less about the poll.
Iran doesn't cooperate with inspectors. North Korea doesn't cooperate with inspectors. Iraq didn't cooperate for 10 years. Anyone who thinks that a weapons treaty involving third party inspectors (UN or whomever) will work is an idiot. History just doesn't support that approach as a path to success. Our treaties with the Soviets involved direct inspection by both countries. That process worked.
Here is what is going to happen. Iran will get the bomb because Obama wants a treaty to which he can point as an accomplishment (plus they already have plenty of HEU). Iran will not produce any delivery systems that can threaten the US or most of Europe (which gives us wiggle room) but plenty of short and medium range missiles (adequate to their local needs). Saudi Arabia will then pull the trigger on a deal they have in place with Pakistan (the Saudi's funded the Pak nuclear weapons program and are due some quid pro quo) and get the Acme Do It Yourself Nuclear Weapons Starter Pack. We will do nothing to SA because they are the driving force behind keeping oil prices tied to the dollar. What the heck, you can drill through glass.
It really shouldn't be that difficult to get a workable treaty. We agree to preposition a couple of regimental combat teams worth of gear (and a bunch of ammo) in Israel. We leave about a battalion of troops at each site for security and training. We agree to let the Israeli's use the prepo ammo stock in the event of war. At the same time, we make Haifa a "home port" for elements of the Sixth Fleet (a destroyer or two, nothing big). This puts us in the position of serving as a nuclear trip wire in the event of an Iranian attack on Israel ..... they nuke Israel and then end up at war with us. Israel then can relax about Iran and focus on more important things (like finding room for all of those European Jews who are looking for a new home).
The trip wire approach worked for 50 years in Europe and South Korea so why not try it in Israel?? The Saudi's hate the Iranians as much or more than they hate Israel. Jordan won't care. Egypt wants to be our friends and do not want war with Israel. The rest of the Middle East is either on fire or doesn't matter.
Thanks.
Iran doesn't cooperate with inspectors. North Korea doesn't cooperate with inspectors. Iraq didn't cooperate for 10 years. Anyone who thinks that a weapons treaty involving third party inspectors (UN or whomever) will work is an idiot. History just doesn't support that approach as a path to success. Our treaties with the Soviets involved direct inspection by both countries. That process worked.
Here is what is going to happen. Iran will get the bomb because Obama wants a treaty to which he can point as an accomplishment (plus they already have plenty of HEU). Iran will not produce any delivery systems that can threaten the US or most of Europe (which gives us wiggle room) but plenty of short and medium range missiles (adequate to their local needs). Saudi Arabia will then pull the trigger on a deal they have in place with Pakistan (the Saudi's funded the Pak nuclear weapons program and are due some quid pro quo) and get the Acme Do It Yourself Nuclear Weapons Starter Pack. We will do nothing to SA because they are the driving force behind keeping oil prices tied to the dollar. What the heck, you can drill through glass.
It really shouldn't be that difficult to get a workable treaty. We agree to preposition a couple of regimental combat teams worth of gear (and a bunch of ammo) in Israel. We leave about a battalion of troops at each site for security and training. We agree to let the Israeli's use the prepo ammo stock in the event of war. At the same time, we make Haifa a "home port" for elements of the Sixth Fleet (a destroyer or two, nothing big). This puts us in the position of serving as a nuclear trip wire in the event of an Iranian attack on Israel ..... they nuke Israel and then end up at war with us. Israel then can relax about Iran and focus on more important things (like finding room for all of those European Jews who are looking for a new home).
The trip wire approach worked for 50 years in Europe and South Korea so why not try it in Israel?? The Saudi's hate the Iranians as much or more than they hate Israel. Jordan won't care. Egypt wants to be our friends and do not want war with Israel. The rest of the Middle East is either on fire or doesn't matter.
Thanks.
