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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Gates's negative comments on Netanyahu: Why now?
2011-09-07
What is interesting about Gates' comments is not that they're new, because they're not, but why they were made public.
Several different bright ideas -- or what the denizens of the White House would consider bright ideas -- are proposed as possibly underlying the "Gates says Israel ungrateful ally" story. No mention of lunch with the J Street gang, however.
Anyone who has paid any attention to Israel-US ties since the start of the "Obibi" era in early 2009, when US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu took power in their respective countries, knows well that this relationship has been anything but a honeymoon.

What is interesting about the Goldberg piece is not the content of what Gates was reported to have said, but rather that someone wanted his having said it to be out there now. One question that has to be asked is why Gates. Why put these words in Gates' mouth.
Anyone who has paid any attention knows there are wide gaps in the way the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government view the world and the swiftly changing region.
Posted by:trailing wife

#13  What happened? Gates did the bidding of his master.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2011-09-07 19:07  

#12  Again, PLENTY of commenters here said, ON MANY, MANY OCCASIONS, that this man was the bestest, most wonderfulest SecDef of ALL TIME. Whahappen?
Posted by: M. Murcek   2011-09-07 18:55  

#11  The Obama administration, through leaks and various on-and off-the-record statements by various officials over the last three years, has made clear that it feels that with the US giving Israel so much in terms of security assistance and diplomatic cover, it should not be so much to ask once in a while for something in return

This approach always worked in Chicago.
Posted by: JohnQC   2011-09-07 13:33  

#10  "An ungrateful Ally" is merely a response to our schizophrenic and imbecilic political class that includes this idiot Gates.

If you were the leader of any nation, you would be looking at the US in a suspicious manner. Especially with that stupid pitiable dung-assed President from HELL we have.
Posted by: newc   2011-09-07 12:39  

#9  # 6 is going to get his wish sooner than most think. I hope the Israelis are of the same mind -- Gaza, Sinai,southern Lebanon, the Golan and the West Bank, all will be in play. Likely to be very bloody no matter how quickly Israel moves, unlike its dreadful performance in Lebanon in 2006. The unknown is whether WMD will be used. If Syrians and Iranians go for the gas, Syria will be reoccupied in part by Turks as the country disintegrates. It could get that bad. Eastern tribes in Syria will link with Sunna cousins in Iraq.
Posted by: Elmavinter Grairt6233   2011-09-07 12:17  

#8  This Greenberg fellow needs to trip and fall in front of a D9. Cat. These Leftists have really become bold, I hope they realize once the O is out of office, they're vulnerable to the vicissitudes of life. Shades of Billy Jeff, bring on the small aircraft accidents and self inflicted shotgun wounds to the back of the head.
Posted by: Secret Asian Man (New Delhi)   2011-09-07 10:34  

#7  Gates is smoking O'Buttwipes pole. The whole crew should be in the dock for treason.What does it take before we pluck the chickens and heat the tar?

I wonder if there is a way for the next president rescind the O'Buttwipes pardons by EO, then try the whole lot.
Posted by: Secret Asian Man (New Delhi)   2011-09-07 10:25  

#6  Israel should have plans to reorganize their neighborhood the next time they are pushed into war. Expel local populations if required.

Better to be considered a villian short term and have security than to have the continual blame and escallating body count they've suffered for the past few decades.

Until then say the nice things and do what has to be done. Similar to the Arab policy of doing one thing and saying another.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2011-09-07 10:07  

#5  Greenberg/Carvill/Shrum have been trying to use their astroturf process to put a leftist in power in Israel. This is just more of the same. Bibi doesn't take orders from this failure of a POTUS
Posted by: Frank G   2011-09-07 10:05  

#4  I was hoping for June 7th quite frankly.... 30th anniversary of Opera and all of that. I'll settle for the 20th however.
Posted by: Besoeker   2011-09-07 01:45  

#3  9/20
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2011-09-07 00:40  

#2  Perfidenous behavior. We've now surpassed even the Albionites having taken it to an entirely new level. No training wheels needed for Gates and Obama. Netanyahu has evidently made the notification phone call. Likely to get much worse as Israel prepares to bitch slap a few of these goat buggering urchins.
Posted by: Besoeker   2011-09-07 00:33  

#1  A declaration that Israel is on its own when push comes to shove dealing with Turkey?

(yeah, like they weren't on their own before)
Posted by: SteveS   2011-09-07 00:18  

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