The one thing we know for sure from the Iraq debacle is that these things are decided upon and planned long before any public announcements. That's the long-term lesson of the Downing Street memo.

Wonder when we are going to change our name to: UNITED STATES of ISRAEL

I suppose that I should congratulate the Israeli leadership for taking responsibility for defending their country away from the US, whose obligation it never should have been.

But this development greatly saddens me because this foolish warmongering sacrifices Israel's long-term survival for short-term political posturing.

Of course, the goal is to spark another war into which the US will be drawn under its current malevolent leadership.

jj

Would it be antisemitic NOW to call Israel the aggressor, to point an accusing finger?

Time for a surgical strike on Dimona - no one will get hurt, right? It's in the middle of the Negev. A bomb for the people from a people without a bomb.

of course the timing of this has nothing to do with distracting attention from olmert's being investigated on allegations of corruption. domestic political considerations never influence foreign policy, right?

somehow it seems a bit defeating by fighting fire with fire. but that seems to be the logic these days. Its time to sit down and talk these issues over, not just rush to conclusions. Isreal attacking Iran will spell the end of the world as we know it. Do you think that all those moderate Islamics will stay so moderate when their brothers and sisters are being bombed from 30 thousand feet? All it would take is one little bio-bomb in the downtown of wherever isreal to spell the end of it all. Or perhaps Russia will step in and attack Isreal in response to an unprovoked assualt. Whatever the case, who really wants to be shown as an aggressor? As long as the Iranians use their nuclear capabilities peacefully, i say let them have it. Is it not hypocritical to be a nuclear power, then deny that to other sovereign nations?

Can't we all just get along?

Israel wants a 'final solution' to the Gaza problem before a Democrat takes office in the White House. This probably means a major massacre of the Palestinians in Gaza in the next few months.

While they are killing Palestinians in Gaza the Israelis will start a diversory action against Iran and try to get the US involved in its Iranian war. This is so that they can divert world attention from its Gaza operation.

medusa, to some cowards any criticism of Israeli actions will always be labelled as "anti-semitic." They view such a charge as an easy way to avoid any discussion of topics whose details cast a shadow of shame over the Israeli leadership.

jj

It is also interesting that previously the U.S and Israel have planned for this eventuality. Lets recall the 100 "BUNKER BUSTING" laser guided bombs the U.S. "sold" to Israel. They were definitely not bombs intended to strike the poorly built homes of the Palestinians of Lebanese. These bombs are designe to penetrate concrete 20 feet thick or penetrate 30 meters through earth...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4493443.stm

Gee their plan is finally becoming reality, after all they have BIG BROTHER to back them up with satellites and all the other goodies that the U.S. has and previously made available for example when they fought Egypt.

Look for oil at $200 a barrel courtesy of our "allies" !
Proof again that our interests and Israel's are NOT THE SAME.
Would it not be better for them to say, we will dismantle our nuclear arsenal in Israel and allow verification by the international agencies if Iran will do the same !

Attacking Iran will only create more hate for Israel and American troops in Iraq. If the attack of Iran takes place look for a surge AGAINST our troops and more terrorist attacks possibly here in the US...

The American war in Vietnam was doomed before the shooting actually began in the early to middle 1960's. It wasn't until the Tet offensive in 1969 that it became obvious to Americans, who were as jingoistic and totally uninformed then as they are today. The Israelis have already and long ago passed their Tet offensive point with the Palestinians and the rest of the ME. We had Walter Cronkite to tell us it was truly over. The Israelis don't seem to have anybody. And so like George Wanker Bush skulking naked and hunched over down the last few miles of the narrow, bloody, rutted dirt road he calls The Avenue of Our Greater Glory, the Israelis too head toward the dark horizon giving the rest of the world the finger.

Israel sucks so badly it should be called Suckland.

CD, am I blacklisted? my last several posts have just disappeared and when I try to repost, I get the message "You've already said that."?

Medusa, we call the Arabs "anti-Semitic" when they in fact are Semitic.

Can there be any doubt remaining of the complicity of the U.S. political establishment and the public which supports it for Israel's war crimes, anticipated and already-executed? After his rock-star treatment at the White House and with AIPAC having successfully paraded before its conference Condi Rice and both McCain and Obama, each of whom pronounced his/her undying support of whatever Israel does that it defines as necessary to its "security," Olmert must feel that the Israeli tail is wagging the American dog very successfully, thank you. He can also take comfort in an American electorate which refuses to look beyond the two choices for President thrown up by our "two party" system, and which ignores any alternatives who offer a glimmer of critique of Israeli policy.

I'm aware that history is written by the winners, and who ever controls the media controls the labels put on alleged enemies, but have you noticed that whenever Israelis decide to squat illegally on land not belonging to them they are labeled as settlers, not trespassers or thieves, but settlers. Any retaliation by true owners of the land is labeled as terrorism or militant acts.
Whenever a Israeli is killed, the response seems to be overkill, and the media really does not accurately report the amount of deaths and injuries caused by Israeli bombs and missiles, but concentrates on the death of the Israeli and determines that it was not an act of aggression but of defense.
It seems that the people of Palestine are either terrorists or militants and the people of Israel are simply defending themselves.
I find this type of reporting nothing more than propaganda.

What sadistic cruelty will out government's genocidal monsters think of next? Obviously when anyone fills out a Form 1040 they are giving material support to a terrorist organization.

Edward-second that. Isrealis-settlers, Palestians-militants. hummmmmmmmm...makes you wonder..

Well, maybe the world will end with some bangs after all. The dust from the nuke blasts in the middle east, russia and the usa should reverse the effects of global warming. We should start carving our history's in stone, in the hope that the next intelligent species to inhabit the planet can learn from our many mistakes...

Mordecai,

Excellent post except that the Tet offensive took place in 1968.

jj

Iran is being ran by religious nut case who has the mentality of a suicide bomber, and who incite on numerous occasions that he want to see Israel destroyed. The world seemed indifferent to see these fanatics gain access to nukes.

No doubt attacking Iran will increase the hatred toward Israel. But what is the alternative?
Sitting quietly and waiting patiently for a nuclear holocaust?

Letto: you talking fairy tales again. President Achmedinejad was merely responding to the bellicose statements made by Zionists. Iran has a right to defend itself from potential Zionist agression. According to Jimmy Carter, the Zionist entity has at least 150 nuclear weapons. Who is the real threat to peace here? As for Gaza, Hamas would be willing to have "Israel" as a neighbor, and the Zionist state responds with more belligerency. Tell me who is the real aggressor here?

....it's always so funny to me that when Israel or the U.S. get their drum-beats going for launching another unholy, completely illegal military attack or war on some other country-- that they always resort to the ol' bogus line...."well, you know, we have tried everything in our power... explored all options....have already resorted to every measure we could think of to try to deal with this 'developing threat'.so we have no other option but to strike this (new) enemy, militarily....we've turned over every rock....we've done all we could on our end to prevent this unfortunate reality from having to occur; so yes...militarily sticking Iran hard and heavy was our absoulte last option left to employ"......what a bunch of crap that is....um, excuse me Omhert and Bush....I think you forgot probably the most important option when it comes to try to resolve any kind of conflict or to try to difuse a major dispute:....to hold DIRECT!!!!....COMMUNICATIONS...DISCUSSONS....NEGOTIATIONS...face to face....no intermediaries...no ridiculous western coalitions of Countries trying to do the bidding for Israel and the United States (FRANCE, Germany, Britain) who all, by the way, happen to be despicable former Western Imperial nations who conducted in horrific international crimes and breaches to international laws and policies...including in the Middle East.....just get it over with Bush and Olmert....ATTACK the WORLD!!!.....you're going to do it anyway...because the tighter you try to squeeze your grip, the more "enemies" will likely emerge....thus the more perpetual wars/conflicts to then engage in.....obviously, any fourth grade mentality knows trying to secure LASTING peace and goodwill cannot be achieved by aggressive, physical, destructive means....and YOU know this too....so, you're all just a bunch of foolish, silly men in your little 'sandbox', wanting to play soldier and blow everything up and destroy everything in that sandbox.....meanwhile, we the citizens on the outside suffer the fallout from all your high crimes....e pox on you!!!!!!!!!

I am sad beyond belief to read this, but I am not surprized. I look for the attack to happen very soon -- maybe days -- just have to let Olmert unpack and report for duty. Witness insanity.

American imperialist nuclear showdown is the way I see this. A nuclear Iran will end the dreams of American and Christian world dominion. A nuclear Iran will constrain both the United States and Israel. It is nothing but the old policy of containment practiced from the Arab perspective.

Clearly the United States is the aggressor with 700 military bases in existence outside the U.S. These bases are not there to keep the peace, but instead, to make the world safe for American economic aggression and dominance.

The power of the U.S. military and related industrial interests have become so powerful that power crazed men like Cheney and Bush pose a grave danger to humanity. This coupled with Israeli Zionists paints a particularly grim picture.

The very dreams of the misguided American economic elites are in question given Iranian nuclear prospects. So the question really becomes do we allow the extreme right wing of America and Israel to risk the very existence of humanity in provoking a Middle East conflagration.

It will also result in martial law being declared in the U.S. and the permanent destruction of American Democracy in favor of Fascism. The second American Civil War will then ensue.

China will not fund this war and as the U.S. Treasury prints war money, the American dollar will plunge further until hyper inflation results.

This is the showdown at the OK Corral, and George Bush has his finger on the trigger. Could we possible be in any worse shape?

If there is anyone in high places in the military or the U.S. Government, time is up. Do something now or risk losing it all.

The world seemed indifferent to see these fanatics gain access to nukes.

__________________________________________

I couldn't agree more! And this heinous indifference, while never justified, lost whatever fig leaf it may have used to cover its shame in the breeze of Vanunu's revelations.

But what superficially appears as the world's "indifference" is actually tacit collusion and approval. It's altogether reprehensible and indefensible.

We ARE talking about the Zionist terrorists operating the "Reich of Zion", i.e. the governing powers and their fanatic adherents thriving like a malignant tumor inside the State of Israel, holding its citizens captive and in thrall, and tainting the Israeli people's decent, upright character and reputation in the process. Aren't we?

PS: The US does the same, using a twin Trojan Horse of "security" to conceal and justify innumerable crimes and atrocities: pre-emptive wars of aggression, for one, which Letto appears to recommend.

Once again–Pelosi and the Democrats must be held accountable for this. Who among us did not know that Bush would try to attack Iran before leaving office? By letting him off the hook for all his past war crimes, the Democrats and their phony hearings have just emboldened him to commit more war crimes. If Israel pre-emptively attacks Iran, Bush will use that as an excuse to aid Israel, and the Democrats will not oppose him. They are all war criminals.

Tick, tick, tick ... Ba-Boom!

Obama could travel to Iran right now.

I wish this rogue, evil state of Israel would just disappear.

But of course, Obama is a "friend" of Israel, and te US COngress is the other Israeli occupied territory.

Thank You, once again Little Brother for an inciteful concise post.
So when was this that the "SETTLERS" stopped bulldozing Palestinian homes and not "SETTLING" there any longer???? Do they not wield guns and shoot to death on sight any Palestinian without consequence?
.3 MN Palestinians murdered since, sorry if I'm wrong, '67?
Why do people confuse Ahmadinejad as the VOICE OF REASON of Persia? The home to a rich culture and the first home of Aryans, highly educated and courteous beyond necessity? He is only the President and does not speak for the Iranian Government. Of course it is the Ayatollah that has this final word.
They will murder any American in Iraq, they will obliterate Israel and F$$KING Olmert. The answer is DIPLOMACY, DIPLOMACY and more GOD DA$N DIPLOMACY!!!
Murderers, Zionists and the Executive Branch with the Psychopath in Chief and EVIL DOER and their minions.
This news, although not surprising, saddens me deeply

#
melmac78 June 7th, 2008 12:12 pm

Wonder when we are going to change our name to: UNITED STATES of ISRAEL
====================

Or Usrael

Why isn't the headline to this article:

"Iran and Gaza Brace Themselves for Attack by Israeli Militants Bent on Destruction"?

The first poster got it right....this signals the beginning of the end of Israel....These folks do not understand peace...their whole history has been violence. Land theft, treachery, murder are their reason for living....Every peace offering has been broken by Israel NOT the other way around.....I say go for it! Israel will become the pariah state that it is. And the world will shun them away, antisemitic labeling be damned. And wtach for China and Russia to intervene....And watch for some US warships to be sunk off the Gulf too....

But all these deaths are ok as Haliburton and gang will be filling their pockets out of these chaos and turmoil....Cheney, Exxon, Chevron, Shell, BP, will be laughing themselves to the bank.

"Iran and Gaza Brace Themselves for Attack by Israeli State Sponsored Terrorists Bent on Destruction"?

"How to make a quick buck" more like.

This story was just released with an AP byline:

Tehran /Washington - Iranian President Ahmadinejad will ask President George W Bush Wednesday to step up US and international action against Israel and prepare for a possible military strike against its nuclear facilities, the Tehran Daily reported. Citing "officials close to Ahmadinejad," the daily said Wednesday the Iranian leader would tell the president that the measures taken so far to stop Israel's nuclear weapons programme had run their course and had not yielded results.

Iran views Israel as its main existential threat, given Israel's 200+ nuclear weapons and Israeli President Shimon Peres often-repeated statements that the Iranian state needs to be erased from the map.

Ahmadinejad, speaking Tuesday night to the American-Iranian Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), called Israel "the most serious and imminent threat to global security and stability" and said that "the Israeli threat must be stopped by all possible means."

"International economic and political sanctions on Israel, as crucial as they may be, are only an initial step, and must be dramatically increased," he told the AIPAC policy conference in Washington.

Addressing the same conference, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice noted there was a serious debate in both Iran and the US on how to address the threat from Israel.

"This debate, though, should not be about whether we talk to Israel," she said. "Diplomacy is not a synonym for talking. True diplomacy means structuring a set of incentives and disincentives to produce change in behaviour."

While the Israeli government was "dangerous," she said, Israel had vulnerabilities which could and should be exploited.

"America will continue to rally the world to hold Israel accountable," she said.

"But the world needs to rise to this challenge. Our partners, in Europe and beyond, need to exploit Israel's vulnerabilities more vigorously and impose greater costs on the regime economically, financially, politically, and diplomatically."

She added, however, that "a path is open for Israel to improve its relations with the international community and with the United States."

"If Israel suspends its enrichment and reprocessing activities, and stops its genocidal campaign of ethnic cleansing against the indigenous Palestinians," she continued, "I will join my UN Security Council colleagues. I will meet with my Israeli counterpart. I'll do it anytime, anywhere, on any issue."

"Hundreds of students still stranded in Gaza"

I have written to my congressman to see if he can get our government's genocidal monsters to stop with this criminal collective punishment of Palestinean school children. Perhaps a few more 'nasty-grams' will help. Yes, I know that a token few Palestineans are to be released but then the Nazis showed the Red Cross how well they were treating a token few Jews during the short years of WWII.

Another Israeli violation of international law.

CD just censored me. Apparently you're not supposed to equate the old Zionist organized crime syndicate of the 50s and 60s with the modern state of Israel.

The Zionistas are doing what they can to support their fascist brothers in the USA. This is the "New World Order" first spoke of by Adolph Hitler and then reiterated by George Bushit the first. I am still expecting a false flag "terror" attack before the elections. the USA will become a military state run by a pro-corporate fascist regime. We can only pray that the people of Europe are strong enough to stop this assault on humanity. The American people are no longer worthy of a democracy. I speak as a citizen of the USA. A humbled citizen.

Bush and Olmert made a deal. The American public is against attacking Iran, so Olmert will attack and we'll be convinced that we have to jump in, martial law will be declared, the election canceled, Bush will stay, then name McCaine as his successor like Nixon named Ford.

Can you imagine a country with a prime minister who is about to be indicted for accepting a bribe coming to Washington and insisting that the U.S. support an unprovoked attack on a neighbor? Well, you don't have to have much imagination anymore. What is this crook, Olmert, still doing in office?

Boy..oh boy..are the Israeli's and the Jews..in general...REALLY TRYING AS HARD AS THEY CAN TO LIVE UP TO THE MOST EGREGIUOS STEREOTYPES OF JEWS AND WHAT "THEY ARE"...ONE JEW DIES...AND THE REST OF US HAVE TO AS WELL..?? THESE ARE SOME SERIOUSLY ARROGANT PEOPLE..HOW MANY PALESTINIANS HAVE DIED? AND THEY ARE "TERRORISTS" FOR FIGHTING BACK..BUT ONE JEW DEAD...AND..VOILA' WWIII...NICE...
ISRAEL! GUESS WHAT? YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE...YOU CANNOT WIN..YOU WILL BE DESTROYED..AND IT IS TOO BAD..HAVE YOU NOT SUFFERED ENOUGH? WE ARE CONSTANTLY REMINDED OF YOUR SUFFERING..(EVEN THOUGH THE RUSSIANS, POLES, CZECKS ETC..LOST MANY..MANY MORE...BUT..GUESS THEY DON'T COUNT..EH WHAT?) SO..YOU WANT TO SUFFER..IS THAT IT? KEEP THE GUILT GOING? BUT THIS TIME..IT WILL BE WWIII AND YOU WILL BE THE CAUSE OF IT...NICE..GOOD JOB...HOW...THOUGHTFUL OF YOU..ARROGANT STUPID PEOPLE..JUST LIKE ALL THE STEREOTYPES HAVE YOU PEGGED...WAS DER STURMER RIGHT ABOUT YOU/..YOU MAKE IT SEEM SO WITH YOUR SELF RIGHTOUS WAR MONGERING..YOU ARE....SPOILED, MEAN, VICIOUS, CONTROL FREAKS...RATS..SCURRYING..TOO BAD..YOU MAKE IT SO BELIEVABLE..AGAIN..TO BAD..YOU ARE MAKING EVEN AMERICA SEEM LIKE A CAUTIOUS NATION...HOW'S THAT FOR A REALITY CHECK...YOU FOOLS...YOU ARROGANT FOOLS..MAY YAWEH FORGIVE YOU...I WON'T..I CANNOT BELIEVE I AM GOING TO SAY THIS..BUT WAS HITLER RIGHT? ARE YOU GOING TO BE THE ULTIMATE DOWNFALL OF MANKIND? I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE AMERICA..BUT IT LOOKS LIKE..IT MIGHT BE...THE JEWS...HOW ODD IS THAT?

Thank you, jesusofjonesboro. It was 1968 and I was still in college.

I guess this last post is evidence that nothing is being censored here, no matter how ridiculous.

america needs a buffer zone...perhaps hoping that the islamic world will choose to attack US held Iraq or Isreal rather than the USA directly...this may then allow for some cool off period as the world steps in to try to negotiate some sort of sanity...and perhaps hoping that who ever nukes either Iraq or Isreal will either get completely destroyed in the process or..won't have any nukes (or the delivery systems) left to attack the USA... any use of large scale nukes in this modern age would surely bring about an international ban of some sort..they just understandably don't want it to happen in the US...it does seem almost inevitable it will happen some-where ..better it happen in Iraq..or Isreal than New York or washington...er.....right??

in that scenario America is sacrificing the population of Iraq and Isreal in order to save its scrawny neck....sound like a plan
would certainly be very much in character don't you think?

"CD, am I blacklisted? my last several posts have just disappeared and when I try to repost, I get the message "You've already said that."?"

It happens to me too. It just means that they don't like what you are saying... try changing your tune... or diluting your message.

CD is 'Imperialism Lite' (imperialist justification under the guise of radical expose). Just keep that in mind and all will be well.

For example: "Israel Threatens..."

(No mention that Israel is a totally controlled facet of British/Euro/American Imperialism)

"Israel has twice acted !! by itself !! to stop its regional enemies developing a nuclear capability, in Syria last year and Iraq in the 1980s."

See. Is that or is that not some pretty Heavy Duty B___Sh__!?

jcrumb,

You all-caps flaming notwithstanding, you do have some good points.

Israel and its Jewish allies in the USA - AIPAC and the United Israel Appeal (which flies big banners on most Synagogues in my town), are uncanny in their deliberate reinforcing the very "anti-semitic" stereotypes that are always made about them. Even the largely largely Jewish-run Darfur Campaign reeks of scheming and ulterior motives.

Now, I am absolutely not implying that such behavior is somehow "Jewish"; rather, some, very dark, very destructive, aspect of human (or more specifically white-European) social behavior is going on here.

I say "white-European" because one of the comical aspects of all this is stunning hypocracy and racism behind the claim that Persians, Arabs or any other near-or south Asians ("darker races") are somehow innately violent or genocidal. It is the white European race - of which the Jews belong, are the absolute world-champions of genocidal, racist, imperialist, violence!

"If Iran continues with its programme for developing nuclear weapons, we will attack it," he said."

According to the, cough, Bush "doctrine," Iran now has not only the right but the duty to launch a "pre-emptive" or "preventative" war against Israel.

"The Bush Doctrine... which says that "Country A" should depose foreign regimes that represented a threat to the security of "Country A," even if that threat was not immediate..."

Right? Isn't that how it works? Would a direct threat fall into that category?

Oh, sorry, forgot - only We The People and Israel are allowed to protect ourselves pre-emptively. The rest of the world can go f**k themselves...

Israel is itself a crime against humanity. They should never had displaced 700,000 people back in 1948 and stolen their land.

May this theft never be forgotten or forgiven.