Israel Matzav

Gates in the Gulf

A surprisingly pro-Israel statement by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates at a conference in Manama, Bahrain has not gotten a lot of play in the media. So let's give it some.

Gates told the Gulf states that they should stop worrying about Israel's alleged nuclear capabilities and start worrying about Iran's.

“Everywhere you turn, it is the policy of Iran to foment instability and chaos, no matter the strategic value or cost in the blood of innocents – Christians, Jews and Muslims alike,” he said, calling Iranian policy a threat to the U.S. and “all countries within the range of the ballistic missiles Iran is developing.”

Asked whether he believed Israel’s alleged nuclear program jeopardized the region, Gates replied bluntly, “No, I do not.” He denied the U.S. held Iran to a different standard than it did Israel on the issue of nuclear development.

“Israel is not training terrorists to subvert its neighbors. It has not shipped weapons into a place like Iraq to kill thousands of innocent civilians covertly,” he said. “It has not threatened to destroy any of its neighbors. It is not trying to destabilize the government of Lebanon. So I think there are significant differences in terms of both the history and the behavior of the Iranian and Israeli governments. I understand there is a difference of view on that,” he added.

Which part of that do America's 'intelligence' agencies not get?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:25 AM