Mullen Gave Israel a Red Light, Says Cordesman

Further to my post last week about Adm. Mullen’s press conference, Anthony Cordesman, the Middle East military specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), has told an Israeli audience that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told his Israeli counterpart during his visit to Israel two weeks ago that the U.S. would not support an Israeli strike on Iran, according to an article that appeared in Tuesday’s Haaretz newspaper. (Scroll down to see the relevant part.) Moreover, according to Cordesman, Mullen was speaking on behalf of the president when he communicated that message. Cordesman, a heavyweight who once served as McCain’s national security advisor (back in the candidate’s realist days), is known as a very cautious, taciturn analyst whose words are chosen with great care, although, on the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, he described the notion that it would result in the democratic transformation of the region as something that “crosses the line between neo-conservative and neo-crazy.”

Jim Lobe

Jim Lobe served for some 30 years as the Washington DC bureau chief for Inter Press Service and is best known for his coverage of U.S. foreign policy and the influence of the neoconservative movement.

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3 Comments

  1. This is certainly excellent news. Primarily because it shows that the current Administration understands that the national interest of the USA and that of Israel frequently are different. Also, this benefits the USA in that it is a clear demonstration to the Islamic world that the USA is clearly not a knee-jerk supporter of Israeli foreign/military policy.

  2. I pray that red light stays red.

    But if we have learned anything it is that our own “evildoers’ never , ever give up on their agendas.

    And why should they? Congress enables and aids them and covers for them. They never get punished for their treason or war crimes. 99% of the press and MSM treats them like legit figures.

    I hope it holds, but I am not relaxing yet.

  3. This does not imply that the US has decided against an adventure in Iran. In a recent UK’s Channel 4 television interview Seymour Hirsh said that Dick Cheney does not want Israel to attack Iran – but wants the US to do it instead. Let us not start any celebration just now.

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