Robert Parry: Bush tried to push Israel into attacking Syria.

[BurtWorm]

Israelis called Bush "nuts." (Who wouldn't?)

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/081206.html


Israeli Leaders Fault Bush on War
By Robert Parry
Consortium News

Sunday 13 August 2006

Amid the political and diplomatic fallout from Israel's faltering invasion of Lebanon, some Israeli officials are privately blaming President George W. Bush for egging Prime Minister Ehud Olmert into the ill-conceived military adventure against the Hezbollah militia in south Lebanon.

Bush conveyed his strong personal support for the military offensive during a White House meeting with Olmert on May 23, according to sources familiar with the thinking of senior Israeli leaders.

Olmert, who like Bush lacks direct wartime experience, agreed that a dose of military force against Hezbollah might damage the guerrilla group's influence in Lebanon and intimidate its allies, Iran and Syria, countries that Bush has identified as the chief obstacles to U.S. interests in the Middle East.

As part of Bush's determination to create a "new Middle East" - one that is more amenable to U.S. policies and desires - Bush even urged Israel to attack Syria, but the Olmert government refused to go that far, according to Israeli sources.

One source said some Israeli officials thought Bush's attack-Syria idea was "nuts" since much of the world would have seen the bombing campaign as overt aggression.

[wakeme2008]

1. This was the whole Bush game

Israel to attack Syria OR Iran / Syria to attack Israel while defending Lebanon. Bush wanted an excuse for his Syria/Iran WAR.

[leveymg]

2. Bush-Olmert: the Push-Me-Pull-You llama from Dr. Doolittle

[alfredo]

8. Those damn terrorist Llama, refusing to work for

the IDF. I got to give it to the IDF for thinking of using pack animals, but things like this happen from time to time. Donkey's would be better suited in my opinion and native to the region.

[OregonBlue]

3. Remeber what happened to Iraqis when papa Bush told them to stand

up after the first Gulf war? Olmert was smart enough to know that the U.S. doesn't always stand behind it's "friends" and depending on the American political reaction to an attack on Syria, they might be left fighting all by themselves.

[BurtWorm]

4. kick

[EFerrari]

5. Our government is insane. God help us all. n/t

[Acadia Blue]

7. Insane and criminal

[Acadia Blue]

6. Why didn't he just look at Bush's military failure? Seems like Bush

should not be credible when he encourages someone in a military venture.

[lebkuchen]

9. Does Olmert not know about PNAC?

Hard to believe.