U.S. pushing Israel to stop assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists

[Donger]

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-pushi...ar-scientists/

WASHINGTON -- As Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flies to Washington - due to arrive on Sunday (March 2), to prepare for talks with President Barack Obama at the White House on Monday - it's clear that there are several points of friction between Israel and the United States.

The two countries are allies, but their leaders often differ on the details of key issues: Israel's peace talks with the Palestinians, America's nuclear talks with Iran, how to approach political turmoil in Egypt, what might be done to limit Syria's horrible civil war, and a broader issue of whether the Middle East sees President Obama as a powerful, influential leader.

Recently, as I sought to update a book I co-wrote about the history of Israel's intelligence agencies, sources close to them revealed that they felt pressure from the Obama Administration - more than a hint - to stop carrying out assassinations inside Iran.

Although Israel has never acknowledged it, the country's famed espionage agency - the Mossad - ran an assassination campaign for several years aimed at Iran's top nuclear scientists. The purpose was to slow the progress made by Iran, which Israel feels certain is aimed at developing nuclear weapons; and to deter trained and educated Iranians from joining their country's nuclear program.

At least five Iranian scientists were murdered, most of them by bombs planted on their cars as they drove to work in the morning. Remarkably, the Israeli assassins were never caught - obviously having long-established safe houses inside Iran - although several Iranians who may have helped the Mossad were arrested and executed.

In addition to strong signals from the Obama Administration that the U.S. did not want Israel to continue the assassinations, Mossad officials concluded that the campaign had gotten too dangerous. They did not want their best combatants - Israel's term for its most talented and experienced spies - captured and hanged.

President Obama - much to the discomfort of Israeli officials - is pursuing negotiations with Iran. The United States is one of the P5+1 nations, continuing to talk with the Iranians about rolling back some of their nuclear potential.

Sources told us that Netanyahu has now ordered the Mossad to focus on hunting - inside Iran and elsewhere - for evidence that the Iranians are cheating on the commitments they made in their interim agreement with the P5+1 last November.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama will also discuss progress - said by all concerned to be limited, but not non-existent - in Israel's talks with the Palestinian Authority which began last year. Secretary of State John Kerry has had many frustrations in his chosen role as mediator: not least, the harsh criticism of Kerry voiced by some members of Netanyahu's coalition government who distrust the peace process and feel that giving up any of the West Bank would be needlessly dangerous for Israel.

[BucEyedPea]

Can only see the title. But it sounds good to me based just on that.

[scott free]

Iran cant be allowed to have the bomb, kill every nuclear scientist in that country.

[stonedstooge]

I wonder if any of them are old buddies of mine. The University I attended was loaded with Iranians in the Chemistry and other Science Departments. Then they all disappeared when the hostage situation occurred

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by scott free

Iran cant be allowed to have the bomb, kill every nuclear scientist in that country.

Did you really say that?


Ya' know they can always find another nuclear scientist outside their country if they pay the right price.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

I wonder if any of them are old buddies of mine. The University I attended was loaded with Iranians in the Chemistry and other Science Departments. Then they all disappeared when the hostage situation occurred

The receptionist at my chiro's office is Iranian...and she doesn't even like the country. She didn't like it at all when she visited. Maybe they were just embarrassed.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

Can only see the title. But it sounds good to me based just on that.

For someone who claims that we shouldn't care about what happens in other countries unless it affects us, this seems a rather odd response and position to have.

[scott free]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

Did you really say that?


Ya' know they can always find another nuclear scientist outside their country if they pay the right price.

I'm afraid I did say that and if they import people then kill them, too.

We're just going to have to disagree on this one, N. Korea having nukes is bad enough, we don't need two bad actors wielding them around like city destroying cudgels.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by scott free

I'm afraid I did say that and if they import people then kill them, too.

We're just going to have to disagree on this one, N. Korea having nukes is bad enough, we don't need two bad actors wielding them around like city destroying cudgels.

Yeah, well it's not going to stop them, even though you're operating on the idea they're getting a weapon for their program. They've opened their door to inspections and are cooperating. I don't get why such an extra Constitutionalist solution is in order.

We've been assassination inside that country and yet the allegation continues. So it hasn't worked.

[AustinChief]

Originally Posted by Donger

For someone who claims that we shouldn't care about what happens in other countries unless it affects us, this seems a rather odd response and position to have.

HAHAHAHAHAHA. Awesome.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by Donger

For someone who claims that we shouldn't care about what happens in other countries unless it affects us, this seems a rather odd response and position to have.

LOL

[GloucesterChief]

Originally Posted by scott free

I'm afraid I did say that and if they import people then kill them, too.

We're just going to have to disagree on this one, N. Korea having nukes is bad enough, we don't need two bad actors wielding them around like city destroying cudgels.

Well, China is holding the leash on North Korea. Without China's monetary contributions, North Korea's economy goes down the drain even more. So far they have been able to keep the Kim's from doing anything too psychotic. Last thing they want is nuclear bombs dropping right on their doorstep.

Iran doesn't have such a 'benefactor' though the way to Iran is to reach out to the youth. There is a big gulf between the generation that participated in the Revolution and the current one. The generation in between was pretty much wiped out by the Iran-Iraq war. Big culture clash upcoming in Iran.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by Donger

For someone who claims that we shouldn't care about what happens in other countries unless it affects us, this seems a rather odd response and position to have.

Not at all since we tell Israel, our 51st state what to do all the time as it can't survive without our economic aid. Besides, the fact that we've been inside Iran working with them during joint covert activities...as well as hiring MEK. We're partners with them already. So it's one and the same. You ought to know that being a British imperialist.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by AustinChief

HAHAHAHAHAHA. Awesome.

HAHAHAHAHAHA. NOPE! We claim Israel as our ally all the time. This is what allies do, especially during war. They get each other to cooperate when they're in the same game to coordinate strategy.


EPIC FAIL.

[BucEyedPea]

And so long as Israel takes our money they are less free to choose to act independently.