[Black_Iron]

What rational reason would Israel have to bite the only hand that feeds it?

This should serve as a basic guide:

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/israel/nuke/farr.htm

Over the next year, relations between the U.S. and Israel became strained over the Dimona reactor. The U.S. accepted Israel's assertions at face value publicly, but exerted pressure privately. Although Israel allowed a cursory inspection by well known American physicists Eugene Wigner and I. I. Rabi, Prime Minister Ben-Gurion consistently refused to allow regular international inspections. The final resolution between the U.S. and Israel was a commitment from Israel to use the facility for peaceful purposes, and to admit an U.S. inspection team twice a year. These inspections began in 1962 and continued until 1969. Inspectors saw only the above ground part of the buildings, not the many levels underground and the visit frequency was never more than once a year. The above ground areas had simulated control rooms, and access to the underground areas was kept hidden while the inspectors were present. Elevators leading to the secret underground plutonium reprocessing plant were actually bricked over.[23] Much of the information on these inspections and the political maneuvering around it has just been declassified.[24]

Egypt attempted unsuccessfully to obtain nuclear weapons from the Soviet Union both before and after the Six-Day War. President Nasser received from the Soviet Union a questionable nuclear guarantee instead and declared that Egypt would develop its own nuclear program.[43 ] His rhetoric of 1965 and 1966 about preventive war and Israeli nuclear weapons coupled with overflights of the Dimona rector contributed to the tensions that led to war. The Egyptian Air Force claims to have first overflown Dimona and recognized the existence of a nuclear reactor in 1965.[44 ] Of the 50 American HAWK antiaircraft missiles in Israeli hands, half ringed Dimona by 1965.[45] Israel considered the Egyptian overflights of May 16, 1967 as possible pre-strike reconnaissance. One source lists such Egyptian overflights, along with United Nations peacekeeper withdrawal and Egyptian troop movements into the Sinai, as one of the three “tripwires” which would drive Israel to war.[46] There was an Egyptian military plan to attack Dimona at the start of any war but Nasser vetoed it.[47] He believed Israel would have the bomb in 1968.[48] Israel assembled two nuclear bombs and ten days later went to war.[49] Nasser's plan, if he had one, may have been to gain and consolidate territorial gains before Israel had a nuclear option.[50] He was two weeks too late.

I also believe you should go into the cover-up of this Israeli crime by President Johnson.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/johnsonlb/xix/

The reasons are more complex than that. In reality, Hussein was marked for destruction because he attempted to kill Bush Sr. Not only that, Hussein's ability to hoodwink Schwarzkopf after the war (which allowed Hussein to defeat the Shiite uprising and remain in power) was a key reason Bush Sr failed to re-elect. The shine came right off his victory with Hussein firmly in power and thumbing his nose at us again.

I totally agree with you that probably 75% of President Bush's motivation behind the war was to avenge former President Bush. However, it couldn't have happened without very key players setting the stage, who I think should resign, as they totally put Israeli hegemony and power before the lives of our troops, not to mention America and the prinicples it should be standing for.

Dwight,

I respect your religious views, but I believe they have very little to do with this discussion. The fact that the creation of Israel was based on theological pretext gives us what right to complain about "Muslim fanatics", when the real fanatics reside in "Tel Aviv"?

I do not support the creation of "Israel", and I believe that the situation in Palestine today more closely mirrors that of a long standing civil war where we have armed the real extremists to the teeth with weapons and nuclear technology. Waving flags or creating false institutions does little to dispel that fact. It was atrocious policies like these which led to the destruction of the twin towers.

Rich Lucibella,

Nice try, but straw man arguments just aren't going to cut it. Those incidents, while deserving their own thread and investigation, have nothing to do with Israel's actions concerning the U.S.S. Liberty.

Now I'm the first to admit that there are days when I have a difficult time separating cogent, rational argument from self-serving interpretation of a Book as enigmatic as Revelations, but I gotta tell ya......
Today is not one of those Days

.

Thank you for admitting that, Rich.

For all of you who think this is "ancient history", the cover-up of these actions by our government and the continuing Israeli corruption of our public service certainly is not ancient history. Shows how very little respect you have for the lives of those soldiers. As well as the fact that Israel continues to recieve an excessive amount of money from our taxpayers.

US aid to Israel:

http://www.fas.org/man/crs/IB85066.pdf

"Anti-Israel"? Give me a break, why exactly should we be "pro-Israel" and mindlessly follow whatever lies and propaganda they flood the media with?

lilly'sdad

I personally feel we give the Israeli's too little leeway in their operations. We should arm them better, and turn them loose.

You're completely nuts.