Thursday, January 08, 2004
Beware Your Friends
George W. Bush and the Neo-Cons scattered throughout his administration have shown sufficient horror and shock at the thought that countries around the world (i.e., not our friends) might want to, need to or see it in their strategic interest to join the Nuclear Club. So, reports abound on the efforts from the White House to contain, stop, blunt or limit the nuclear capabilities or dreams of North Korea, Pakistan, India and most of the Arab countries.0 comments
Because if nuclear weapons fell into the wrong hands, of course, no one is safe.
So, considering context as being important to any discussion, here's an NBC News interactive graphic which details the enormous nuclear, biological and chemical weapon production by Israel.
This is a shocking and bone-chilling document.
Any country has the right to defend itself, yes. Many people have even thought that Israel may well have had a nuke there somewhere, for quite some time now. Actually, the report alludes to an Israeli nuclear alert during the 1973 war.
But, according to this report, Israel now has somewhere between 100 and 200 nuclear, and perhaps, upwards of 35 thermonuclear warheads.
They also have two classes of missles to deliver them: the Jericho I, which can travel 500 miles and the Jericho II, which travels 750 miles.
Plus, they have a full fleet of U.S.-built F-4s and F-16s assigned to its nuclear fleet, as well as 24 F-15E "Strike Eagles," which can fly round-trip from Israel to Iran without refueling.
This is supported by a stunning plutonium program, which may well be second only to our own for expertise and production.
Now, in the hands of an Abba Eban, perhaps, or some other politician-type head of state, this, of course, would be a tad on the overkill side. The region would remain in a state of ongoing anxiety.
But, since this lethal arsenal is now in the hands of a militaristic madman like Ariel Sharon, you can understand why every Arab country in the entire region is in a state of apoplexy and panic; is attempting to build or buy their own nuclear arsenal; is attempting to disrupt Israel's capabilities or, at minimum, damage its relationship with its nuclear sponsor, the U.S.
Very chilling stuff, this.
Made all the more terrifying when you think of the enormous botch of things the Bush administration has made of its role in Middle East negotiations.
Standing by, while things disintergrate into plain murder and chaos. Instead of looking for root causes of problems it doesn't understand, the White House simply ignores them and follows its own policies and self-interests in other arenas. That the residue of that approach creates a ticking time bomb which future presidents and generations will have to deal with is no great leap of thought or imagination.
posted by Gotham 12:29 PM
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