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Title: Israel Calls Iran Its Greatest Threat
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Published: Sep 23, 2006
Author: NICK WADHAMS
Post Date: 2006-09-23 21:57:22 by tom007
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Views: 190
Comments: 13
Israel Calls Iran Its Greatest Threat Email this Story Sep 20, 11:09 PM (ET) By NICK WADHAMS (AP) Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni addresses the 61st session of the United Nations General... Full Image UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The Israeli foreign minister on Wednesday warned that Iranian leaders pose the biggest threat to the world's values because they "speak proudly" of their wish to destroy Israel and pursue weapons to achieve that objective. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told the annual U.N. General Assembly session that the international community must stand up against Iran, which she claimed is pursuing the weapons to destroy Israel, a reference to its suspect nuclear program. "There is no greater challenge to our values than that posed by the leaders of Iran," Livni said. "They deny and mock the Holocaust. They speak proudly and openly of their desire to wipe Israel off the map. And now, by their actions, they pursue the weapons to achieve this objective, to imperil the region and to threaten the world." She said Iran's support of the Islamic militant group Hezbollah in south Lebanon showed the threat it poses to the region. The world must ensure that it enforces the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended more than a month of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, Livni said. "There is no place for such a regime in the family of nations," she said. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said in the past he wants to wipe Israel off the map and dismissed the Holocaust as a myth. In his own speech to the General Assembly on Tuesday, Ahmadinejad said Israel was created by driving millions of people from territory that was rightfully theirs, something he called "a great tragedy with hardly a precedent in history." He also harshly criticized Israel's policies, saying the country was a source of insecurity in the Middle East that was "waging war and spilling blood and impeding the progress of regional countries." While Livni spoke, a lone Iranian diplomat sat in the back row of the section of six seats reserved for the Islamic republic in the General Assembly hall. After her speech ended, the diplomat moved up to the front row to listen to the following official, from Belgium. Livni struck a more conciliatory tone toward the Palestinians, saying the two did not necessarily have to remain at odds and the only way to resolve their conflict was at the "bilateral negotiating table." "We have no illusions about the difficulties before us - we must face them and not ignore them," she said. Livni met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the U.N. a day before the General Assembly session began, and both described the meeting as positive. In her speech, she reiterated their desire to reopen a serious dialogue, including with the creation of a permanent channel "to pursue ways to advance together." On the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday, President Bush called Abbas a "man of courage" for trying to revive Mideast peace talks despite a continued political stalemate with Hamas militants. Abbas has been weakened since January when Hamas, which seeks the destruction of Israel, won the Palestinian elections. Prospects for a return to active peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have looked dim this year, partly because the political upheaval in both governments kept leaders' attention focused inward. Israel has new leadership too as Ariel Sharon remains incapacitated after his sudden massive stroke on Jan. 4. The new prime minister, Ehud Olmert, is on the defensive at home because of widespread dissatisfaction with the conduct and outcome of Israel's summer war against Hezbollah.
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#5. To: tom007 (#0)
Yeah, they not only got their asses kicked, they were exposed as JUST AS BAD as the Iraqi insurgents and Al Qaeda. They destroyed a country, killed thousands of innocent civilians, to get at Hezbollah. Hezbollah kicked their asses and took almost no losses. These fascists were going to invade, no matter what, by October, if Hezbollah had not given them an excuse. Now, Israeli troops were crossing over the border routinely to screw with Hezbollah, and Hezbollah was returning the favor. In one firefight, Hezbollah not only won, it took prisoners and demanded a prisoner exchange. Israel refused and proceeded to bomb every highway, bridge and literally half the buildings in Lebanon, thinking they could waltz in and round up all of Hezbollah. This might be the greatest misjudgment since Hitler decided to take St. Petersburg. It was a rout, and it has totally destroyed Israel's image as invincible and its citizens' faith in the government to protect them. Just wait til Hezbollah gets its mitts on guided missiles. If I were a sane Israeli, I'd be looking for a nice patch of land in Brazil or Canada to start a kibbutz.
That compliment is a real thigh slapper... Abbas a man of courage? Since when? Wasn't it not too long ago that the DC neocons and the Israelis were crapping their drawers about Abbas and were calling Abbas every bad anti-semite name under the sun, for a research paper he wrote about the Holocaust when he was a college student a zillion years ago. Now Abbas is a saint. It's amazing how a politician's reputation can be "cleansed" with the passage of time.
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Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latestwidespread dissatisfaction with the conduct and outcome of Israel's summer war against Hezbollah.
#6. To: Mekons4 (#5)
On the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday, President Bush called Abbas a "man of courage"
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