Post by Steve Gardner on Dec 15, 2007 11:42:19 GMT
...'The United States has failed to stop Iran'
NOTE: The full article appears below. Be aware that, when I visited the web site, I found myself infected with a Trojan - Exploit-SWFPoP.
Source: World Tribune
TEL AVIV — The U.S. National Intelligence Estimate has infuriated senior intelligence officials here who have warned the government that the Bush administration has abandoned Israel to a nuclear Iran.
Government sources said the Israeli intelligence community briefed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Wednesday on the repercussions of the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate, which asserted that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program. The sources said the intelligence community termed NIE the clearest indication of a disengagement by the Bush administration from the Middle East.
A government source said Israel was stunned by NIE. The source said that neither Bush nor his aides discussed with Olmert or Defense Minister Ehud Barak NIE's conclusion that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003. Both Israelis were in Washington a week before NIE was released on Dec. 3.
"The U.S. failure to discuss NIE with us before its release shows how worthless the White House promises were of a strategic dialogue," the Israeli source said.
On Wednesday, a senior government official gave a briefing that reflected severe criticism of NIE and the White House. The official warned that Israel could not expect any U.S. strategic support during Bush's remaining 13 months in office.
Instead, the official said, Israel must fend for itself and hope to influence the policy of Bush's successor toward Iran. The official said the prospect of a U.S. military option against Iran during Bush's presidency was virtually nil.
"Bush is no longer relevant to the Iranian nuclear weapons program," the official, who would not be identified, said.
[On Wednesday, Israel's Channel 10 television reported that Iran has tested a new intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile. The missile, termed Ashoura, has a range of 2,000 kilometers, and unlike the liquid-fuel Shihab-3, and can be rapidly prepared for launch.]
This was the first Israeli government criticism of the Bush administration during the Olmert government, which took office more than 20 months ago. Olmert, with an approval rating of as low as two percent, has consistently praised White House policy toward Israel and the Middle East.
"The United States has failed to stop Iran," a senior official said. "This is President Bush's fault and we cannot expect anything different during his term."
Bush was scheduled to visit Israel in January and discuss Iran and U.S. plans to establish a Palestinian state. Israeli sources said the U.S. president could encounter criticism of his policy by senior Cabinet ministers.
"Today, when Bush looks at Israel, his only thought is how to pressure us to establish a Palestinian state so he could claim a foreign policy achievement in his eight years as president," another official said. "Although his words have usually been warm, they have not been translated into any meaningful strategic support."
The official said the U.S. administration failed to woo China and Russia to oppose Iran's nuclear weapons program. He said Washington must intensify coordination with Beijing and Moscow to avoid defeat in any effort to impose new United Nations Security Council sanctions on Iran.
NOTE: The full article appears below. Be aware that, when I visited the web site, I found myself infected with a Trojan - Exploit-SWFPoP.
Source: World Tribune
TEL AVIV — The U.S. National Intelligence Estimate has infuriated senior intelligence officials here who have warned the government that the Bush administration has abandoned Israel to a nuclear Iran.
Government sources said the Israeli intelligence community briefed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Wednesday on the repercussions of the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate, which asserted that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program. The sources said the intelligence community termed NIE the clearest indication of a disengagement by the Bush administration from the Middle East.
A government source said Israel was stunned by NIE. The source said that neither Bush nor his aides discussed with Olmert or Defense Minister Ehud Barak NIE's conclusion that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003. Both Israelis were in Washington a week before NIE was released on Dec. 3.
"The U.S. failure to discuss NIE with us before its release shows how worthless the White House promises were of a strategic dialogue," the Israeli source said.
On Wednesday, a senior government official gave a briefing that reflected severe criticism of NIE and the White House. The official warned that Israel could not expect any U.S. strategic support during Bush's remaining 13 months in office.
Instead, the official said, Israel must fend for itself and hope to influence the policy of Bush's successor toward Iran. The official said the prospect of a U.S. military option against Iran during Bush's presidency was virtually nil.
"Bush is no longer relevant to the Iranian nuclear weapons program," the official, who would not be identified, said.
[On Wednesday, Israel's Channel 10 television reported that Iran has tested a new intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile. The missile, termed Ashoura, has a range of 2,000 kilometers, and unlike the liquid-fuel Shihab-3, and can be rapidly prepared for launch.]
This was the first Israeli government criticism of the Bush administration during the Olmert government, which took office more than 20 months ago. Olmert, with an approval rating of as low as two percent, has consistently praised White House policy toward Israel and the Middle East.
"The United States has failed to stop Iran," a senior official said. "This is President Bush's fault and we cannot expect anything different during his term."
Bush was scheduled to visit Israel in January and discuss Iran and U.S. plans to establish a Palestinian state. Israeli sources said the U.S. president could encounter criticism of his policy by senior Cabinet ministers.
"Today, when Bush looks at Israel, his only thought is how to pressure us to establish a Palestinian state so he could claim a foreign policy achievement in his eight years as president," another official said. "Although his words have usually been warm, they have not been translated into any meaningful strategic support."
The official said the U.S. administration failed to woo China and Russia to oppose Iran's nuclear weapons program. He said Washington must intensify coordination with Beijing and Moscow to avoid defeat in any effort to impose new United Nations Security Council sanctions on Iran.
