Israel, USA, and Iran, the Truth?...

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There is a lot in the news about Iran's alleged nuclear aspirations, the President's allegedly pro Iranian position, and the slow moving negotiations between between Iran and the USA. There is something for everyone and everyone is certainly lining up in the all too familiar political battle formations. Of course this has the effect of making it much more difficult to actually ascertain the truth. But I guess that's the point really. It always seems to be that way these days and the blatant animosity towards President Obama on the part of republicans (especially the reactionary wing) is almost palpable.

Truth is usually found somewhere between the extremes if one is really seeking truth and has the tenacity to stick with the search until is is found. Somewhere in the middle. Read and compare the following two articles, then, if not satisfied continue the search for the truth. If satisfied your search is complete. That choice is yours but please do not criticize those who continue the search for the real truth.

From The New York Times...

... The tension of the moment was reflected a few minutes before Ms. Power’s appearance when the audience was reminded to “treat all our speakers as guests in our home.” Michael Kassen, the chairman of the Aipac board, made a point of praising Ms. Power in his introduction by noting her efforts to counter United Nations resolutions opposed by Israel.

The audience responded to her politely and rose in applause to some of her statements, including when she said the Israeli-American relationship transcended politics. “That is a very important statement you all have made,” Ms. Power said when she saw the audience rise.

The series of public comments will be as close as the American president and the Israeli prime minister come to a real-time debate over how to address the nuclear threat from Iran, and they are likely to highlight the deep rift between Mr. Obama and Mr. Netanyahu on the issue.

Those divisions have become more personal in recent weeks after Mr. Netanyahu worked with Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, to arrange for the prime minister’s speech at a joint session of Congress, without first informing the White House.

Mr. Obama quickly said he would not meet with Mr. Netanyahu to avoid the appearance of influencing Israeli elections in two weeks. Ms. Rice said last week that the prime minister’s visit had been “destructive” to the American-Israel relationship because it injected politics.

Mr. Boehner said on Sunday that he had never seen demand for tickets as high as they are for Mr. Netanyahu’s appearance, and he criticized Mr. Obama’s team for its reaction to the planned speech.

“What I do wonder is why the White House feels threatened because the Congress wants to support Israel and wants to hear what a trusted ally has to say,” Mr. Boehner said on the CBS program “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “It has been, frankly, remarkable to me the extent to which, over the last five or six weeks, the White House has attacked the prime minister, attacked me for wanting to hear from one of our closest allies.”

Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in Switzerland on Monday negotiating with Iran, sought to portray the United States as a strong supporter of Israel’s security.

The United States “will oppose any effort by any group or participant in the U.N. system to arbitrarily and regularly delegitimize or isolate Israel,” Mr. Kerry said during an appearance before the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

But the focus Monday and Tuesday, in an unusual series of virtually dueling speeches and the interview, is more likely to be on differences between the two nations.

“What you’re going to see is a very, very deep disagreement over policy by an American government led by President Obama and an Israeli government for now led by Netanyahu,” said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the executive director of the Democratic-aligned and pro-Israel group J Street. He said that divide was “only going to get worse if an agreement is struck with Iran, and then you’re in a very serious clash between the two countries.” More Below the Fold

From Ma'an News Agency...

A Kuwaiti newspaper reported Saturday that US President Barack Obama thwarted an Israeli military attack against Iran's nuclear facilities in 2014.

Al-Jarida newspaper quoted "well-placed" sources as saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had taken a decision to carry out airstrikes against Iran's nuclear program after consultations with his minister of defense Moshe Yaalon and foreign minister Avigdor Liberman in the presence of top security commanders.

The decision came, according to al-Jarida, after Israel revealed that the United States and Iran had been involved in secret talks over Iran’s nuclear program and were about to sign an agreement in that regard behind Israel's back.

According to the report, Netanyahu and his commanders agreed after four nights of deliberations to task the Israeli army's chief of staff Beni Gants to prepare a qualitative operation against Iran's nuclear program. In addition, Netanyahu and his ministers decided to do whatever they could do to thwart a possible agreement between Iran and the White House because such an agreement is, allegedly, a threat to Israel's security.

The sources added that Gants and his commanders prepared the requested plan and that Israeli fighter jets trained for several weeks in order to make sure the plans would work successfully. Israeli fighter jets even carried out experimental flights in Iran's airspace after they managed to break through radars.

However, an Israeli minister "who has good ties with the US administration revealed Netanyahu's plans to Secretary of State John Kerry" and as a result Obama then threatened to shoot down Israeli jets before they could reach their targets in Iran.

Netanyahu had to abort the operation and since then relations between Israel and the United States have been declining, according to the sources quoted in the report.

Articles Via: Memeorandum