Obama Press Conference PT. 8: Calls on Helen Thomas; Pronounces 'Nuclear' Correctly

[Hissyspit]

Run time: 03:10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmRi2IvAh04   Posted on YouTube: February 10, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: February 10, 2009 By DU Member: Hissyspit Views on DU: 1087

 
C-SPAN: President Obama's First Press Conference - Feb. 9, 2009.

OPENING: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x270198

PART ONE: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=270213&mesg_id=270213

PART SEVEN: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=270236&mesg_id=270236

PART NINE: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=270238&mesg_id=270238

[PDJane]

1. But he nicely didn't mention the fact that Israel has nukes.

Nor did he mention the fact that they are not part of non-proliferation treaties at the moment.

[Mind_your_head]

2. I couldn't understand Helen's last words/comment/question at the end of the clip

Did someone hear/understand that?

TIA

[WyoHiker]

3. what was she fishing for?

[Poll_Blind]

5. Israel is the only country in the Middle East which has nuclear weapons, however...

...U.S. Presidents are not allowed to mention it. It is not only an open secret, it is a fact which at least the United States pretends not to know.

  That Israel has nuclear weapons was brought to the attention of the world by a conscientious Israeli citizen by the name Mordechai Vanunu. Here is one of the 60 pictures he took of Israeli model nuclear bomb assemblies in 1986:



  Anyway, she was essentially probing to see if he would tell the truth or if he would avoid the question, dance around it or simply refuse to acknowledge that such a thing existed. There was also another purpose to her question, though ancillary, which was (I believe) to determine exactly how strong Obama's rhetoric on Iran would be- i.e. would he speculate that they might have a nuclear weapon by this point?

  His answer showed that he is not allowed to discuss the matter but answered as sympathetically as he could, given this constraint.

  Outside of the direct implications of an arms race, nuclear non-proliferation hypocrisy, etc., there is also The Samson Option, as described by Seymour Hersh in his book http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Samson_Option_(book)">"The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy".

  The question Helen asked was very important, and very taboo on a number of levels.

PB

[WyoHiker]

7. I'm glad it was nothing more than that

It was as if she knew that someone in the middle east, besides Isreal (and Pakastan if you count them as Middle east ) also had a nuke.

[Poll_Blind]

4. Did he say anything in response after that last little bit of hers at the end?

I missed the whole press conference.

PB

[Mind_your_head]

6. self-delete