The Wall Street Journal says, “The Israeli security establishment is divided over whether it needs Washington’s blessing if Israel decides to attack Iran, Israeli officials say, as the U.S. campaign for sanctions drags on and Tehran steadily develops greater nuclear capability.”
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
Of course they could. But will they?
As much as I hate to say it, Iran, Iraq, and any country has just as much right to have a nuclear weapon as we do. Russia and the U.S. have hundreds. China has a few, as does N. Korea. Yet we can tell everyone else whether they can or can’t?
ALL nuclear weapons should be destroyed. As long as they’re available, it’s possible for any lunatic to get his hands on it, then it’s kiss your ass goodbye time.
I have to agree with you, Wicked, on both counts. No country has the right to dictate to any other what weapons it may possess to defend itself.
And though I risk being called anti-semitic simply for saying this, I think that if Israel decides to attack Iran, we should just tell them, okay, you’re on your own, then and step aside. I would be dead set against sending any further help to them if they decide on a first-strike “option” against Iran or any other country.
It’s one thing being picked on and standing up for yourself and asking your friends to stand with you. It’s another to go out looking for trouble and start a fight with someone on the basis that they may be planning to start a fight with you at some later date and expect your friends to stand by you.
I agree.
If anyone knows how easily sanctions are ignored, it’s Israel! Israel may be thinking Iran will take lessons from them!
I suspect Israel is alot like the Republicans. They can do what they want but the ‘other’ guy cannot.
And the U.S. continues to either let them or turn a blind eye.
If Israel decides to go ahead and strike Iran, then all hell will break loose.
I say just let Israel hang by themselves in this one.
Our country has been intertwined in Israel’s messes for too long and we need to stop feeding the beast.
If our country really is about freedom and human rights, then how could we rationalize and justify Israel’s behavior in pre-emptively striking Iran?
But, then again, we have our own history of pre-emptively striking a country without just cause – don’t we?
Isn’t it ironic the same people that feel Bush/Cheney had the right to invade Iraq are the same ones that feel Israel has the right to strike at Iran?
Let’s just thank God that we are talking about President Obama and not President McCain in light of these troubling times.
I still remember McCain’s little bomb, bomb, bomb Iran song from the campaign.
Within the last two weeks McCain said we needed to pull the trigger. He has taken his little song to a new extreme!
While I understand Isreal’s concern about Iran, given the stated and government sponsored hatred of Isreal and the desire to see it “wiped off the face of the earth”, I cannot condone preemptive strikes at capabilities, not actual threats.
I’m confused. Which government sponsored hatred of Israel? I’m guessing you mean Iran’s hatred?
Sorry, I guess I did not state that well. Yes, that is correct, I meant the government of Iran’s sponsored hatred of Isreal
Does stated government sponsored hatred also pertain to Israel when they destroy the Palestinians homeland?
You betcha. (wink, wink)
Israel likes to be the big dog on the block. And whenever the big dog feels any competition, then the big dog likes to bark and show his teeth as a show of his power and control.
And the US has been the big dog’s little water-carrier for many, many years.
The US needs to stand with Israel when they are in the right but when Israel is in the wrong – then we need to stand up to Israel and tell them they are wrong.
I agree completely!
When it comes right down to it – Obama was correct when he said whether we like it or not, the US is a superpower and we will get drawn in to these fights.
But, of course, we all watched as Sarah Palin and ther rest of the bomb, bomb, bomb Iran cheerleaders tried to paint Obama as being weak in defending the US.
Seriously, at the end of the day – just how many nuclear weapons does the world need?
I think it was Wicked that stated something to that effect a few days ago.
There are already enough nuclear weapons in the world to destroy the entire planet many times. And yet we have people who are so casual about dropping bombs on Iran as if they were talking about going out to McDonalds to get a hamburger.
Before we start bombing Iran, we need to think about the lasting consequences of that action.
But, I’m sure all those Republicans who are currently ranting and raving about all the massive federal spending will be only too happy to spend even more massive amounts of borrowed money and they will, of course, tell us that it is necessary spending.
But they will really try to convince us of that fact if they get back into the White House anytime soon.
God help us if another war mongerer gets in power.
Yes and they all talk about how crazy Ahmadinejad is, but think about what a strike against Iran could cause with a crazy guy like that in charge.
So, we and Israel are ratcheting up the threats in response to the possibility that Iran is working on nuclear weapons? And their leader is so crazy he would probably use them? Thus we play into the hands of said crazy leader by making sure that the people of the country feeled threatened enough that their leader would feel justified in using nuclear weapons to strike at Israel.
Wow–that is some GENIUS policy. Yeah.
It has been said that Israel would have to fly over Iraq to hit Iran and the U.S. would have to give permission. It is a no win situation, if they attack we will get dragged into it and if we attack then any of our troops in Iraq will be targets first off.
Not to mention Israel will be the crazy neighbor and the surrounding countries will be siding with Iran.
Me, the pacifist, thinks war is never the answer! Certainly never a winning situation, everyone loses.
Do we still supply most of the planes to Israel?
That, coupled with our massive amount of aid money to them has kept Israel quite comfortable for many years.
Who is to say Iraq won’t side with Iran against us?
If you remember, Iraq’s Prime Minster al Malaki went over to meet with Iran’s president and became best buddies even while our soldiers were still in his country doing the dirty work and, of course, providing security for those overpaid private contractors.
How many billions did Bush and Cheney spend in Iraq and all we came out with was Iraq and Iran becoming Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum?