Sharon rules out striking Iran nuclear sites

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=74400&n_date=20050323&cat=World

Israel has no intention of launching a strike against Iranian nuclear installations, a top Israeli official said today, quoting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

The official told media that Sharon made the comments during talks with a visiting delegation from the US Congress, reports The News.

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[nadinbrzezinski]

1. ok so Sharon has told us

NO will not do yuour dirty laundry?

Amazing

[illflem]

2. Like he's really going to say

we're bombing Iran next Tuesday

[lastknowngood]

3. Like that lying Nazi bastard can be trusted. I expect trouble

soooooooooooon.

[roughandtumble]

4. It's up to U.S. to die for Sharon!!!

Let's start the bombing!!

[TheFarseer]

5. at least SOMEBODY has some damn sense around here n/t

[Deja Q]

6. If Israel launches, others might follow suit.

[arcos]

7. That probably means they will strike within days or hours...

:scared:

[punpirate]

8. Taking this, at first, at face value...

... the question then becomes, "what changed in the last ten days?" As recently as ten days ago, Ha'aretz was reporting that training for such a mission was ongoing:

http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=84943

The delegation spoken of in this article is apparently a few members of the House Rules Committee, and a few miscellaneous Senators:

http://www.vvdailypress.com/2005/111158725148105.html

It doesn't sound as if this is high-level talks with members of the Congressional intelligence or armed services committees.

So, what changed? Anything, except what Sharon told some wandering itinerant Congress critters? :shrug:

[leveymg]

9. From the same website: Pakistan's nuke programme had US blessing

This from the same WebIndia site. One has to take these reports with a grain of salt, nonetheless, the following seems reasonably consistent with the facts.

http://www.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=74386&cat=World
Pakistan's nuke programme had the US blessing: Study:-
March 23, 2005 9:33:01 AM IST

New Delhi, Mar. 22 (ANI). Pakistan's clandestine nuclear programme had the blessing of several countries, including the United States. The erstwhile West Germany had also prior knowledge of Pakistan's use of diplomatic missions to trade in nuclear material.
"Pakistan's Nuclear Underworld," an investigation by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) reveals that even the present US Vice President Dick Cheney, as Secretary of Defense had blocked an in-house report on Pakistan's proliferation activities to facilitate sale of F-16s.

In fact, Washington's priorities changed dramatically following the occupation of Afghanistan by Soviet forces in 1979.

The Americans were "far too obsessed with driving out the Soviets to waste time worrying about stopping Pakistan from going nuclear," reveals the study.

The US seems to have taken a diametrically opposite stand in the case of Iran. While Iran insists it intends to use enriched uranium only in power stations, but Washington argues that Iran is making fuel for atomic warheads. Britain, France and Germany are also putting diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to scrap uranium enrichment.

Pakistan's nuclear programme, which began officially after the 1971 war with India, had the tacit support of by several other countries like China. But its genesis goes back to the nuclear ambitions of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who way back in 1965 said, "If India builds the bomb, we will eat grass or leave; even go hungry, but we will get one of our own. We have no alternative."

The ORF research investigation says "Pakistan relied heavily on clandestine deals with nations like Germany, the US, China and North Korea to buy, sell and barter nuclear know-how and materials."

<SNIP>

[megatherium]

10. Good news? Pax atomica between Israel and Iran?

I.e., a long cold war. But no hot war because it would be too dangerous for either side to initiate.

[leveymg]

11. Why not.? It works for Pakistan and India.

England and France. etc.