Report: Netanyahu fears US won't okay Iran strike

[Scurrilous]

Israeli officials tell Washington Times Israel has not asked US for permission to strike in Iran, fearing Obama would refuse

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3742512,00.html

<snip>

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not asked the US for permission to strike in Iran, for fear the White House would to approve, two US officials told the Washington Times.

One of the officials said that Netanyahu came to the conclusion that "'it made no sense' to press the matter after the negative response President Bush gave Mr. Netanyahu's predecessor, Ehud Olmert, when he asked early last year for US aid for possible military strikes on Iran."

According to the Times, "At the very least, Israel likely would have to fly over Iraqi airspace, which is still effectively controlled by the US Air Force."

Another official told the American newspaper that Israel opted not to ask for the US's aid or approval, so as not to risk getting a negative response. "There was a decision not to press this because it was probably inadequate for the engagement policy and what we know about Obama's approach to Iran," he said."

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Jesus, wasn't Bibi paying attention on Sunday when Joe Biden indicated

that this country will be passive-aggressive and not say anything one way or another if Israel goes alone. (operative term: goes alone, i.e., no U.S. military back-up, it's your problem)

[Catch22Dem]

2. Definitely one of Bush's better decisions (n/t)

[azurnoir]

3. I found that interesting

apparently Bibi has little concern about violating either Jordanian or Syrian airspace

[snappyturtle]

4. This may not be a popular view point but I wish Israel would sit down

and shut up and start addressing other real estate other than Iran such as the West Bank and Gaza.

How did Israel become so fearful of Iran? Outside of a poorly translated message from Amadineajad (sp?), why would Israel fear them so much as to even contemplate an air strike? I truly don't understand.

[Vegasaurus]

5. "Poorly translated message"?

It's been translated many times by those who speak Farsi and Mr. Ahmanidiot's message has always been clear.

He has made a threat, numerous times, against a sovereign nation.

Imagine what the US would do if its security and survival were threatened in this way?

It would already have bombed the hell out of whatever country said that.

Israel has shown tremendous restraint.

[azurnoir]

6. if Israel wishes to unilaterally attack Iran so be it

as to what the US would do if threatened in this manner if you had lived through the Cold War years you would know the answer

[snappyturtle]

7. I am going by what scholars have said about the translation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad_and_Israel


According to Juan Cole, a University of Michigan Professor of Modern Middle East and South Asian History, Ahmadinejad's statement should be translated as:

The Imam said that this regime occupying Jerusalem (een rezhim-e eshghalgar-e qods) must the page of time (bayad az safheh-ye ruzgar mahv shavad).<11>

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) translates the phrase similarly, as "be eliminated from the pages of history."<12>

According to Cole, "Ahmadinejad did not say he was going to 'wipe Israel off the map' because no such idiom exists in Persian". Instead, "He did say he hoped its regime, i.e., a Jewish-Zionist state occupying Jerusalem, would collapse."<13>

This famous 'quote' of Ahmadinejad, again as I understand it, was a referral to a statement of the Iman. Maybe the hatred directed for this 'quote' is mis-directed.
---------------------------

"Israel has shown tremendous restraint." I've never known that to be a quality of Israeli policy. I regard Israel as being very aggressive; settlements, case in point. You know, if Iran had troops with missiles pointed at Israel from the common Syrian/Israel border, I could understand that Israel would feel threatened. Is Iran's military capability great? I don't know.

Israel regards Iran's nuclear possibility as a threat even though it's Israel that has nuclear weapons. Because of that, I regard Israel a threat to Iran. As far as Ahmadinejad's numerous threats against a sovereign nation (Israel?), I guess I'm ignorant of that. If you could take some time and find me some links, I would appreciate it.