LOGO: Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines. A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.  
November 26, 2009
Log in / Register

 Choose a size
Text Size

Most Read

Still Doing God's Work on Wall Street

Obama's Thankless Thanksgiving

Colbert Conservatives and Military Waste

Obama Risks Losing His Judicial Prize

Age Trumps Youth in UC Tuition Dispute

Most Comments
Most Emailed

Reports

Ear to the Ground

A/V Booth

Arts & Culture

Digs
Financial Meltdown 101
Vetting Sarah Palin

Truthdig Bazaar more items

 
Ear to the Ground

Newspaper: Bush Told Israel Not to Bomb Iran

Email this item Email    Print this item Print   
Posted on Sep 26, 2008
White House / Eric Draper

The Guardian is reporting that outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sought and was denied President Bush’s blessing for an airstrike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Bush was reportedly concerned that Iran would retaliate against U.S. targets in the region and that the benefits of such an attack would be insufficient.


The Guardian:

Israel gave serious thought this spring to launching a military strike on Iran’s nuclear sites but was told by President George W Bush that he would not support it and did not expect to revise that view for the rest of his presidency, senior European diplomatic sources have told the Guardian.

The then prime minister, Ehud Olmert, used the occasion of Bush’s trip to Israel for the 60th anniversary of the state’s founding to raise the issue in a one-on-one meeting on May 14, the sources said. “He took it [the refusal of a US green light] as where they were at the moment, and that the US position was unlikely to change as long as Bush was in office”, they added.

The sources work for a European head of government who met the Israeli leader some time after the Bush visit. Their talks were so sensitive that no note-takers attended, but the European leader subsequently divulged to his officials the highly sensitive contents of what Olmert had told him of Bush’s position.

Read more

More Below the Ad

Advertisement


Elsewhere: .

Comments

Are you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig.

By yellowbird2525, September 28, 2008 at 11:37 am #

the Isreali people told Obama “we are not for sale”; you MIGHT bribe the heads of the countries; “politicitans” and we the people are going to get rid of the problem: the politicians! (several countries) including Mexico are having civil unrest & civil war due to the Pres of the USA bribing them to “go along with their world dominion plan” cuz they have “gotten away with it in the USA for so many years” & the people are fooled & deluded into THINKING they are “good” and the people are “free”; Our lawless leaders are going for huge farms where the Corps run & operate all food in every country; the USA was the one running to the leaders & telling them “hang onto the food” til you get higher prices”; THIS is “democracy” THIS is how you make great deals of money; ****it is NOT a “lack” of food; it is a lack of ACCESS to food; thank your lawless leaders folks; BTW, there IS fighting in Iran; the media is manipulated worse than in Hitler’s day: but hey just another “illegal” play

Report this

By Purple Girl, September 28, 2008 at 10:14 am #

Big Whoop Dumbass W. had a moment of clarity ONCE in 7 1/2 yrs!!
Of Course whether it was Momentary lapse of Reason from W’s Bizzaro World mind set or a actual glimmer of Conscience, we’ll never know, He’ll never be able to recapture the thought process which took over his mind at that point- Easy to elude W!
Laws MUST be passed that NO Duel citizenship will be allowed access to Gov’t postions…PERIOD!
Frankly as an American It is NOT my Place to Influence nor control Isaeli Foreign Policy, Nor is it the Right of their cicitens to control OURS!
I am Tired of being told to consider the Iraelis ‘Underdogs’ against any one.they have one of the most apt military and they have about 200 Nuke War heads. Those do NOT Equate to needing much help from US.
Granted I do feel that the average Isaelite deserves to be able to go shopping with out fear of a Sucide Bomber, but I has feel the same way about the average Palistinians right to Personal Safety from Motar attacks. the ONLY ONES COMING OUT ON TOP ARE ARMS DEALERS & MANUFACTURERs. Last Word I heard is that about 66% of Israelis want to Peace Treaty. And Yet those who have no stake in this dog fight, live safely in NY or Boca Raton are ready to mix it up some more….What the Hell are any Jews NOT living in Israel Doing holding Rally’s to Saber Rattle at Iran!! What are ANY of OUR Public Servants Doing agreeing to Attend and Speak at any Such Rally?!?!?
I have NO Interest in maintaining the Current level of ‘support’ for Israel which has effected OUR Demcratic Process! As far as I’m concerned any Public Servant found to have made decisions Based on What Israel Wants, and not what is best for OUR Country or people , is GUILTY OF TREASON!
OUR GOAL is to STOP attacks on OUR Homeland First and Foremost. If our Unconditional Support of Israeli Interests is what is causing this, then we need to reconsider OUR afflitiation and efforts to protect them NEEDLESSLY!It has Proven NOT To Be In OUR Best Interest. Gotta Problem with that then Move Back! then Your Allegience Won’t be so Conflicted! they have been at this Bullshit longer than we have Been a Country- Fuck ‘em Both! I don’t care if the ‘israelites’ reclaim their land- I’m not looking for the ‘Rapture’; Nor do I care about that little clump of Dirt called Jeruselum, nor any of the Brick & Mortar Laying around it!Blasphemy???NO ....‘Worhsip No other before me’,No Scared Golden Cows Nor Idols (I’m guessing that would include dirt & Brick). ‘THOU SHALL NOT KILL’- I’m Guessing again- But I’ll bet that also includes FOR Dirt, Brick, and Even ‘Messiah’s’!!!
So if the Jews and Muslims want to continue this Millenia Heresy- Let them, there is NO Reason we can’t stay the hell out of it to Protect & Defend Our Way of Life, Our country, Our values,Our Security!And For all those ‘Friends of Irael’ psuedo Christian Cults, heads Up We will no longer Tolerate YOUR HERETICAL & TREASONOUS SHIT EITHER!
SEPARATION BETWEEN CHURCH & STATE an American Value and Doctrine!

Report this

By Marshall, September 28, 2008 at 2:46 am #

By Fadel Abdallah, September 26 at 5:54 am #

“Bush… was acting based on his acknowledgment of weakness but not out of prudence or ability to stand out against little Israel’s imperialistic ambitions!”

Ah the mark of true bias: damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

Report this

By Louise, September 27, 2008 at 10:26 pm #

Fadel Abdallah;

“Bush had a moment of pragmatic awakening and realized that America cannot afford to open a third disastrous war front with Iran.”

smile

I love your comments and your insight, but on this I don’t agree. I doubt Bush suddenly developed a brain and a conscience. Rather I think he’s just realized what a rotten legacy he’s leaving behind, and Armageddon and God are leaving him to face the music!

Now he’s desperately scrambling to somehow look good!

Report this

By diamond, September 27, 2008 at 6:29 pm #

What Dubya actually said was, ‘Don’t bomb those bastards Ohlmie, we’ll do it once we have another Republican in the White House. And we’ll do a heckuva job.’ John McCain, in fact, has admitted that the US may attack both Pakistan and Iran so this report is both true and untrue like so much in the Guardian. I don’t read newspapers anymore, except for the arts section. An oasis of sanity most of the time. I get my news from the internet, it’s the only way to know what’s really going on because all the newspapers are running the ‘war on terror’ and globalization agenda and reading them makes me want to vomit with disgust. The news on TV is also not to be trusted on any issue to do with the economy or terrorism and, it goes without saying, politics.

Report this

By tres, September 27, 2008 at 1:39 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

maybe its true, and hope it is true. The Israelis are going to drag all of us to the next world war.

Report this

By troublesum, September 26, 2008 at 4:27 pm #

Give credit where it is due.  This was the best thing Bush did in his eight years.

Report this

By Hammo, September 26, 2008 at 10:34 am #

There are many approaches available when dealing with international challenges.

Using “soft power” in constructive ways is one of them.

New concepts on this are explored in the article:

“Transcendent warfare: Human consciousness the key?”

Joint Recon Study Group
Sept. 11, 2008

http://jointreconstudygroup.blogspot.com/2008/09/transcendent-warfare-is-human.html

Report this

By Fadel Abdallah, September 26, 2008 at 9:54 am #

And what’s the point in this even if this was true? Is it intended to demonstrate that Bush is less reckless and less a warmonger than Ehud Olmert?! If there is value to this piece of information it is that after all the disasters both of this evil couple brought to the Middle East and their own countries, Bush had a moment of pragmatic awakening and realized that America cannot afford to open a third disastrous war front with Iran.

The point is that Bush, if it’s true he restrained Olmert, was acting based on his acknowledgment of weakness but not out of prudence or ability to stand out against little Israel’s imperialistic ambitions!

Report this

By Lisa, September 26, 2008 at 9:33 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

and Sarah Palin said to Katie Couric that we shouldn’t second guess Israeli leadership.  God help us if she gets elected.

Report this

By hippy pam, September 26, 2008 at 8:02 am #

And if you do not do something the way “bullsh*t” wants it done….YOU CAN GET INVADED…....

Report this

Add Your Comment

Posts by unregistered readers are moderated. Posts by members
are published immediately. Why wait? Register today!







Number of characters remaining: 4000

Notify you when others comment on this article?


Are you a human?
Retype the word you see here.


Please read and abide by our comment policy.
By submitting this comment, you agree to this site's terms and conditions.

 
 

 
Join the Liberal Blog Advertising Network
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
Copyright © 2009 Truthdig, L.L.C. All rights reserved.