THREE LITTLE WORDS
"Mr. President, do you know of any country in the Middle East that has nuclear weopons?"
"With respect to nuclear weapons, I don't want to speculate."
Helen Thomas, the 88 year old legendary reporter who asked the question, knew full well the answer was yes and that the caretaker of those 150 or so WMD is Israel.
Barack Obama, the 47 year old charismatic President who responded, also knew full well the answer. What the President did was lie in accordance with US policy with respect to Israel's nuclear arsenal. This governmental policy lie is needed to circumvent the Symington Amendment (1976) to the Arms Export Control Act which forbids most military and economic assistance to countries trafficing in nuclear enrichment equipment or technology outside of international safeguards. Israel was able to develop nuclear weapons because it has never signed or cooperated with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Israel is the largest recipient of American aid, some of which they used to reign down on a million and a half Palestinians packed into the Gaza Strip, in their frightful bombardment which killed and wounded thousands of the folks the world has forgot.
While the rest of the world views our self serving denial of Israel's nuclear weapons with puzzlement, it took another octogenarian, 84 year old former President Jimmy Carter, to be the highest profile American to openly admit knowledge of Israel's nuclear arsenal at a public policy conference nine months ago.
the current Oval Office occupant has also made a pact with the Devil when it comes to our needless and self destructive Middle East wars. He is considering two options to extend the illegal Iraq occupation beyond the 16 months he promised during the campaign. He is nearly ferocious in this desire to funnel tens of thousands more cannon fodder in the graveyard of empires known as Afghanistan.
Admittedly, Obama has a full plate fending off the No Investment-Tax Cut Only crowd to get a desperately needed stimulus package pumping life support into our collapsing economy. Taking on the Military-Industrial Complex and the Israel Lobby may to too much reality and truth to expect from him this early on. Hopefully, he won't wait till he's safely in his eighties to begin telling the truth about what really ails America.
To those of us who need one word to describe our pre-emptive wars and one-sided backing of a nation gobbling up Palestinian land: madness; the Military-Industrial Complex and the Israel Lobby require three: business as usual.
Originally published in the Daily Herald, March 5, 2009
"With respect to nuclear weapons, I don't want to speculate."
Helen Thomas, the 88 year old legendary reporter who asked the question, knew full well the answer was yes and that the caretaker of those 150 or so WMD is Israel.
Barack Obama, the 47 year old charismatic President who responded, also knew full well the answer. What the President did was lie in accordance with US policy with respect to Israel's nuclear arsenal. This governmental policy lie is needed to circumvent the Symington Amendment (1976) to the Arms Export Control Act which forbids most military and economic assistance to countries trafficing in nuclear enrichment equipment or technology outside of international safeguards. Israel was able to develop nuclear weapons because it has never signed or cooperated with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Israel is the largest recipient of American aid, some of which they used to reign down on a million and a half Palestinians packed into the Gaza Strip, in their frightful bombardment which killed and wounded thousands of the folks the world has forgot.
While the rest of the world views our self serving denial of Israel's nuclear weapons with puzzlement, it took another octogenarian, 84 year old former President Jimmy Carter, to be the highest profile American to openly admit knowledge of Israel's nuclear arsenal at a public policy conference nine months ago.
the current Oval Office occupant has also made a pact with the Devil when it comes to our needless and self destructive Middle East wars. He is considering two options to extend the illegal Iraq occupation beyond the 16 months he promised during the campaign. He is nearly ferocious in this desire to funnel tens of thousands more cannon fodder in the graveyard of empires known as Afghanistan.
Admittedly, Obama has a full plate fending off the No Investment-Tax Cut Only crowd to get a desperately needed stimulus package pumping life support into our collapsing economy. Taking on the Military-Industrial Complex and the Israel Lobby may to too much reality and truth to expect from him this early on. Hopefully, he won't wait till he's safely in his eighties to begin telling the truth about what really ails America.
To those of us who need one word to describe our pre-emptive wars and one-sided backing of a nation gobbling up Palestinian land: madness; the Military-Industrial Complex and the Israel Lobby require three: business as usual.
Originally published in the Daily Herald, March 5, 2009
posted by Walt Zlotow at 7:17 PM
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