U.S. Rejects Israel's Request for Arms and Assistance Needed to Strike Iran

From Haaretz:

The American-Israeli dispute over a military strike against Iran erupted during Bush's visit to Jerusalem in May. At the time, Bush held a private meeting on the Iranian threat with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and the Israelis presented their request for certain specific items of military equipment, along with diplomatic and security backing.

Following Bush's return to Washington, the administration studied Israel's request, and this led it to suspect that Israel was planning to attack Iran within the next few months. The Americans therefore decided to send a strong message warning it not to do so.

Comments

[Todd]

"Following Bush's return to Washington, the administration studied Israel's request, and this led it to suspect that Israel was planning to attack Iran within the next few months. The Americans therefore decided to send a strong message warning it not to do so."

I don't recall American diplomats sending a strong message for Israel not to attack Iran. Was the mesage for public consumption? All I recall is U.S. officials falling over themselves to sell-out at AIPAC gatherings.

Are we supposed to give the Bush administration kudos? It's a bit late for kudos. At this point, there is nothing that the U.S. political establishment can do to make up for the harm that it has caused in the ME over the past sixty years. What a bunch of clowns!

I think that feeling up volleyball players during photo ops while Georgia and Russia fight over oil is Bush's smoothest move.

[charles Keating]

I'm sure Israel responded it was a sovereign nation and would do whatever it saw fit in its own interest. The real question is, did anyone representing the USA tell Israel if they don't listne up, we just might have to withdraw our stringless funding and military-industrial partnering a tad? No, instead our foolish representatives offered more state-of-the-art military hardware and protection to be used "for defense purposes." This, to console Israel because we were not going to simply allow Israel to fly over Iraq--looks like this is a case where Israel and the USA do not have exactly the same interests--and now Georgia too... Did somebody leave a copy of W & M's book in Bush's bathroom?