Early withdrawal from Iraq disastrous for Israel, Cheney says

[Scurrilous]

US vice president tells AIPAC conference, ‘If Iran's allies prevail, threat to our friends in Middle East will only be magnified.’ Netanyahu to reporters in Washington: Legislation can be advanced in US to prevent money from being indirectly channeled to Tehran

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3375691,00.html

<snip>

"An early US withdrawal from Iraq would have ‘disastrous’ consequences for Israel, US Vice President Dick Cheney told an AIPAC conference on Monday.

“Friends owe it to friends to be as candid as possible, so let me say that a precipitous American withdrawal from Iraq would be a disaster for the United States and the entire Middle East,” he said.

“It's not hard to imagine what could occur if our coalition withdrew before Iraqis could defend themselves. If Sunni extremists prevailed, al Qaeda and its allies would recreate the safe haven they lost in Afghanistan, except now with the oil wealth to pursue weapons of mass destruction and underwrite their terrorist designs, including their pledge to destroy Israel.

“If Iran's allies prevailed, the regime in Tehran's own designs for the Middle East would be advanced and the threat to our friends in the region would only be magnified,” the vice president said."

[rodeodance]

1. well, we know Congresscritters have a hard time when it comes to non-

support of anything Israel.

[Arugula Latte]

2. Early Withdrawal from Iraq Disastrous for Halliburton, Cheney says

[Barrett808]

3. But the invasion has been catastrophic for Iraq

Where should our sympathies lie?

[azurnoir]

4. So in essance

Cheney says US soldiers dieing for Israel, if that is why we can't withdraw.

[southerncrone]

5. Why should most Americans give a sh*t about Israel?

We have too many problems now. Siding up more w/Israel will only make us bigger targets on the world screen. They are the archenemies of the Arabs. Time for Israel to stand on its own, too; 40 yrs is time enough. Especially if we expect Iraq to do it.

[southerncrone]

8. Correction.....60 yrs is long enough.

[Robbien]

6. All our military and military defense budget belongs to Israel now?

Cheney is losing it.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

7. AND WHO CAUSED THAT YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT??

I thought getting rid of Saddam was supposed to be Good for Israel?

I thought eliminating his weapons program was supposed to make Israel safer?

[Joanne98]

9. Tell your Senators NOT to sign the AIPAC letter!

http://houseoflabor.tpmcafe.com/blog/richards1052/2007/mar/12/tell_your_senator_don_t_sign_the_aipac_letter

[Raven]

10. Mr. Cheney, just shut up...

this is your fault. This is due to your gross incompetence, your hubris, your corrupt ambitions. Don't lay this one on me. If anyone is responsible for a threat to Israel it is you and your reckless administration. I am not going to be guilted into taking care of your shit. You started this, you screwed it up, you failed miserably. Now just shutup! are. Israel will have to take care of itself and I'm pretty confident it can. If it was in your interests you'd throw Israel away in a nanosecond. Mr. Cheney, really, shut your snarling mouth and go away, please!

[MichiganVote]

11. Will someone please ask this asshole to define "early"?!?

Is it really too much to ask for some details from the hacks that are attached to the so called "news"??

[phantom power]

12. So now we can tack "It's for Israel" onto the long list of reasons for this $#!$#@$ war?

[checks-n-balances]

14. Exactly. The underlying truth is finally coming out, even out of Cheney's mouth!

This is bound to be divisive even in the U.S. People are opposed enough to the Iraq occupation than to drag Israel into it, but this way some people will end up hating Israel for it. He's saved the Israel/trump card as a last-ditch effort to keep this insanity going.

I'm sick to death of this man playing the rest of the world like chess pawns. May he suffer the hell he surely deserves and will surely get - preferably sooner than later.

[elvisbear]

13. To bad Cheney's father didn't perform an early withdrawal.

:evilgrin:

[olddad56]

15. I had that same thought in my my mind when I srolled down and saw your post.

I doubt seriously if Cheney had parents. We know Bush didn't.

[Thor_MN]

16. Friends don't like friends fuck up the planet

Dick, you really need to resign...

[anotherdrew]

17. AIPAC - our forth branch of government n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

18. What did Jordan disappear?

I'm confused. There is a significant buffer between Iraq and Israel. It is commonly referred to as 'Jordan'. Even in the improbable outcome that the remnants of Iraq reconstitute a military force of any ability to cross out of its own borders, it is vanishingly unlikely to be able to march across Jordan to strike a blow at Israel.

I see that the Cheney hit all the points: al qaeda wmd oil iran and terra.

But wait, I see a glimmer of truth there. If sunnis prevail: bad bad bad. If shiites prevail: bad bad bad. Ah - so our policy is permanent bloody chaos! Got it. Go to jail Cheney, you are a very bad person.

[goforit]

19. Cheney trying to look good in the eyes of da Israelis.....They love this guy!!!

[IndianaGreen]

20. Is Cheney confirming that US troops are dying for Israel in Iraq?

I wonder if the Israel Lobby realizes the kind of peril they would put the American Jewish community if Cheney's comments were allowed to go unchallenged. Do they want Jews to become scapegoats for Bush's war in Iraq? I certainly don't!

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. 
[link:www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html|Click
here] to review the message board rules.

[Scurrilous]

22. Olmert warns against early Iraq exit

Prime minister tells AIPAC conference American success in Iraq key to stability in Middle East; states Israel must take Iran's threats seriously

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3375755,00.html

<snip>

"Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday warned the United States against a quick departure from Iraq, saying it would lead to instability in the region and undermine Washington's ability to deal with emerging threats.

"Those who are concerned for Israel's security, for the security of the Gulf States and for the stability of the entire Middle East should recognize the need for American success in Iraq and responsible exit," Olmert said in remarks to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

"Any outcome that will not help America's strength and would, in the eyes of the people in the region, undercut America's ability to deal effectively with the threat posed by the Iranian regime will be very negative," Olmert said."

<snip>

Speaking by a video link from Israel, Olmert called Iran the greatest threat to the Jewish state and said it was building sophisticated weaponry systems and trying to create nuclear capacity.

"When we hear such threats ... we have no choice but to take it seriously and we must address ourselves to these threats," Olmert said."

[IndianaGreen]

23. Why doesn't Olmert offer to send one IDF soldier to Iraq in exchange for 1 GI

returning home to America? If he thinks Iraq is so important to Israel, let Israel pay the price that Americans are paying for her.

Iraq is not worth one drop of American blood.

[Scurrilous]

26. Israel must stay the hell out of U.S. debate on Iraq

<snip>

"Ehud Olmert suffers from a learning disability found at times among people who know themselves to be brilliant:

They fail to learn the first thing.

Take the debate within the United States over the war in Iraq.

The first thing for an Israeli prime minister to know about the debate is this: Stay the hell out of it.

The second thing might well be: If you're thinking about addressing the American Jewish community on an issue of intense sensitivity, take a long second look before you say the first thing that comes to mind.

But Olmert, being Olmert, couldn't resist. And as a chaser, he chose the worst possible venue, the closely scrutinized national convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) pro-Israel lobby, to declare that an early U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq would destabilize the entire Middle East."

more

[humbled_opinion]

24. WOW that is a bombshell

U.S. troops in a proxy war with the enemies of Israel. Nothing like bringing Revelation to fruition.

[IndianaGreen]

25. Cheney has given Al-Qaeda credibility by repeating their charge about Israel and US

being in cahoots on an anti_Islamic Crusade.