Gulf Cooperation Council seeks sanctions against Israel
This was almost inevitable once Olmert made his stupid statement last night and then tried to retract it this morning.The Gulf Cooperation Council has decried the US's treatment of Iran's nuclear program as a 'double standard' and has demanded sanctions against Israel due to its nuclear program.
Abdul Rahman al-Attiyah, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, said, "The United States should not apply double standards since it calls for sanctions on countries that have nuclear programs that we have not ruled out are framework of nuclear weapons."Olmert's 'slip of the tongue' as YNet called it has put both Israel and the US in an uncomfortable position. It could yet cause much worse.
Al-Attiyah's comments followed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's comments on Monday night during an interview with a German television station during which he argued that a nuclear Israel did not pose the same threat as a nuclear Iran.
The US should "seek the implementation of international resolutions, international laws and Chapter 7," Al-Attiyah added, referring to the section of the United Nation's charter that provides for imposing sanctions.
Al-Attiyah, a Qatari diplomat, spoke to journalists along the sidelines of the conference in Kuwait to enhance cooperation between the oil-rich Gulf states and NATO.
Al-Attiyah said, "I believe it is time now for the international community to see that peace and security are now threatened by this announcement."
The NATO meeting follows a summit by the GCC, which groups Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman, that ended Sunday.
Gulf countries have expressed safety concerns about Iran's nuclear program. They are also said to be worried that as host to US military bases they would be on the front line of any Iranian reprisals if the US attacked Iran over its nuclear program.
Most other Arab countries have maintained a diplomatic silence over Iran's program, calling instead for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction - pointed reference to Israel's presumed nuclear weapons' capabilities.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:22 PM
4 Comments:
The US cannot complain since it was Gates who started this circus. (Not trying to justify the clowns stupidity, mind you)
Stemir,
There's a big difference between Gates saying it in a congressional hearing and the Prime Minister of Israel saying it on commercial television in a European country. In the first instance, there is still some element of deniability. Now, there is none. Although Olmert is suddenly trying.
The jerk let his big mouth slip again.
I know, Carl. I think that the clown went berserk as a reflexion of what Gates said (couldn't keep his cool). He should have stuck his foot in his mouth as soon as the later opened up. Would have been less embarrassing and would have caused less damage too.
Well, that call for sanctions didn't take long at all.
Really, Israel's only move at this point is to continue the policy of denial, and tape Olmert's mouth shut.
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