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Topic: Israeli PM in nuclear gaffe

sidra
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 11490

posted 12 December 2006 09:17 AM

quote:
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, of the hard-line Likud, another opposition party, said the comment could hurt Israel's attempt to get the international community to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Shalom said Olmert "gave tools" to Israel's enemies, allowing them to say, "Why are you dealing only with Iran while Israel is confirming that it has the same kind of weapons?''

(The Toronto Star)
http://tinyurl.com/ygkact

Apparently the motto is Nothing is true unless Israel confirms it is so. And by the way, Mordechai Vanunu has been imprisoned just for the fun of it!

[ 12 December 2006: Message edited by: sidra ]

From: Ontario | Registered: Dec 2005 | IP: Logged

aka Mycroft
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 6640

posted 12 December 2006 11:08 AM

The other day US Secretary of Defense nominee Robert Gates was criticized for referring to Israel's nukes during his confirmation hearings. Seems the US has long had a "don't ask, don't tell" policy in regards to Israel's nuclear program since the country would become ineligible for US military aid under US law barring aid to countries that have WMDsk *if* the US acknowledges the weapons.

[ 12 December 2006: Message edited by: aka Mycroft ]

From: Toronto | Registered: Aug 2004 | IP: Logged

Lavite
recent-rabble-rouser
Babbler # 13659

posted 14 December 2006 11:43 AM

Not particularly much of a suprise. The entire world already knew Israel has nuclear weapons.

And not a whole of a lot anyone can do to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons themselves either.

From: Georgia | Registered: Dec 2006 | IP: Logged

BetterRed
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 11865

posted 14 December 2006 11:47 AM

quote:
Not particularly much of a suprise. The entire world already knew Israel has nuclear weapons.

World governments, perhaps. But not the world public. For whenever the ISraelis give interviews for the outside media, they always imply that they dont have nuclear weapons. Therefore, I would guess most pro-Israelis in the US didnnt know about the nuclear arsenal.

IOW, this statement is a lot more significant than you think.

From: They change the course of history, everyday ppl like you and me | Registered: Jan 2006 | IP: Logged

500_Apples
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 12684

posted 14 December 2006 12:19 PM

It's a stupid move politically, that's all, though with short-term implications. For all we know, Israel could have a small nuclear arsenal, or have few places to store them, or have nuclear weapons purchased from the usa soon to expire.

quote:
US military aid under US law barring aid to countries that have WMDsk *if* the US acknowledges the weapons.

Indeed, look at how US sanctions crippled india and pakistan.

From: Montreal, Quebec | Registered: Jun 2006 | IP: Logged

Papal Bull
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7050

posted 14 December 2006 12:27 PM

Well, yeah. The world public knew.

It's called an open secret. Venunu...stuff like that. We all knew. There just wasn't any open admission.

From: Vatican's best darned ranch | Registered: Oct 2004 | IP: Logged

Lavite
recent-rabble-rouser
Babbler # 13659

posted 14 December 2006 12:39 PM

Israel having nukes is old news. Keeping it an open secret, as Papal Bull put it, allowed Israel to not face scrutiny or sanctions.

Here is a link to a paper written at the U.S. Airforce Air War College on Israeli nuclear weapons. No secrets, everything in it came from public domain. They just linked it together.

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/israel/nuke/farr.htm

One Quote:

Before the 1967 Six-Day War, they (Israel)felt their nuclear facility threatened and reportedly assembled several nuclear devices. By the 1973 Yom Kippur War Israel had a number of sophisticated nuclear bombs, deployed them, and considered using them. The Arabs may have limited their war aims because of their knowledge of the Israeli nuclear weapons. Israel has most probably conducted several nuclear bomb tests. They have continued to modernize and vertically proliferate and are now one of the world's larger nuclear powers.

From: Georgia | Registered: Dec 2006 | IP: Logged

contrarianna
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 13058

posted 14 December 2006 02:31 PM

The coyness about Israel's nuke arsenal may appear as a silly charade-- but no.

Certainly anyone who pays attention can find out that Israel is the 3rd or 4rth most powerful nuclear state in the world (with some 400 or so warheads with an array of very sophisticated delivery systems, now including submarines). That as well as one of the most powerful and advanced "conventional" strike capabilities. Israel is also one of the world's top exporters of weaponry.

But in terms of propaganda, general public awareness it is potentially very counterproductive, especially for securing of massive US funds and weapons. Support for Israel in the public mind still depends on the notion of Israel as "little Israel fighting for its very survival" besieged by "bigger" hostile Arab states-- when in fact the military footprint of Israel paints a totally different picture.

From: here to inanity | Registered: Aug 2006 | IP: Logged

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