UAE ambassador calls for bombing Iran's nuclear facilities
The United Arab Emirates' ambassador to Washington has called for bombing Iran's nuclear facilities, saying that the benefits would outweigh the short-term costs. In unusually blunt remarks, Ambassador Yousef al-Otaiba publicly endorsed the use of the military option for countering Iran's nuclear program, if sanctions fail to stop the country's quest for nuclear weapons.Hmmm.
"I think it's a cost-benefit analysis," Mr. al-Otaiba said. "I think despite the large amount of trade we do with Iran, which is close to $12 billion - there will be consequences, there will be a backlash and there will be problems with people protesting and rioting and very unhappy that there is an outside force attacking a Muslim country, that is going to happen no matter what."
"If you are asking me, 'Am I willing to live with that versus living with a nuclear Iran?,' my answer is still the same: 'We cannot live with a nuclear Iran.' I am willing to absorb what takes place at the expense of the security of the UAE."
Mr. al-Otaiba's comments came in response to a question after a public interview session at the Aspen Ideas Festival here. They echo those of some Arab diplomats who have said similar things in private to their American counterparts but never this bluntly in public. The remarks surprised many in the audience.
Read it all. He said everything in public that we have been told Arab leaders are saying in private for the last two years. Ouch.
UPDATE 2:36 AM
More from Jeffrey Goldberg (who conducted the interview that Eli Lake heard) here.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:18 AM
4 Comments:
It's good to hear someone finally saying it out loud. But I just can't see Obama authorizing a military strike on Iran or, for that matter, approving such a strike by Israel. I'd really, really like to wrong about this, but...
BTW Carl, I read the link to your year and a half old post about CJ and LGF. I was also banned at LGF. It was your posts there that initially brought me to your blog. I only regret that it took me so long to get a gmail address so I could start posting comments.
i think that this is the proof that the time of the strike is comming...
you know, the people could be asking: "if there is an attack to iran, what will the other muslims countries think about it"...
now they have their answer, and is not what they were expecting.
Its a Zionist plot! And Iran isn't going to be happy about the reported comments.
Heh
So that's the Saudis and the UAE so far on board, yay.
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