Article

2009-09-17 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Israel Defence Chief: Iran Not An Existential Threat

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Posted by Snoth Uneasing3174 2009-09-17 12:41|| || Front Page|| [11131 views ] Top

#1 Israel has been trying to get people to focus on the threat Iran poses to the region and the world, and make people focus less on it as an "Israeli" issue.

Posted by liberal hawk 2009-09-17 12:56|| 2009-09-17 12:56|| Front Page Top

#2 LH, I think that's wishful thinking. Iran's regional neighbours are most probably thinking 'Iran might nuke Israel one day, but if it does the US will neutralise it. Alternatively, Iran will use its nukes as leverage to weaken Israel by way of attrition'. The crocodile will always go for Israel first, and thus Israel remains the only state for which Iran is an existential threat.

Posted by Bulldog 2009-09-17 16:06|| 2009-09-17 16:06|| Front Page Top

#3 well first, I wasnt so much addressing the substance, I was explaining why Barak was saying this, in case anyone though that he had suddenly gone all dovish. The Israelis feel strongly that the notion that Iran is a threat to them alone does NOT help them to strike a sense of urgency about Iran in the rest of the world. So they have emphasized that Iran is a world problem and NOT soley theirs to deal with.

As for the substance, I am not so sure. It strikes me as very probable that if Iran gets nukes they will immediately begin to bully their Persian Gulf neighbors, and to spread influence throughout the middle east, using the nukes as deterrence against anyone who would use conventional military might to stand in their way.

Posted by liberal hawk 2009-09-17 16:33|| 2009-09-17 16:33|| Front Page Top

#4 I have to agree with LH. Nuclear states can only use nuclear weapons to bully non-nuclear states. Iran will use its nuclear weapons to bully the Gulf states and Iraq.

Posted by phil_b 2009-09-17 18:56|| 2009-09-17 18:56|| Front Page Top

#5 And Oman will be #1 on Iran's list. They want that Omani enclave on southern side of the Straits of Hormuz. It will make the Gulf their Mare Nostrum.

Posted by phil_b 2009-09-17 19:00|| 2009-09-17 19:00|| Front Page Top

#6 Kudos for the picture.

Posted by Penguin 2009-09-17 19:47|| 2009-09-17 19:47|| Front Page Top

#7 Nuclear states can only use nuclear weapons to bully non-nuclear states

False assumption. Nuclear armed states can use their weapons to bully any state which won't (resort to) use nuclear weapons first. Especially a democratic state. Bullies don't assume their victims are incapable of defending themselves, they calculate that their victims only will not.

Why else did Al Qaeda attack the USA?

Posted by Bulldog 2009-09-17 21:29|| 2009-09-17 21:29|| Front Page Top

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