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President Barack Obama

 

 

U.S. and Israel displaying marked
differences on approach to Iran situation

U.S.: “We plan to bomb Iran,’ Israel: ‘We definitely plan to bomb Iran’

By Liam Britten
Chief Middle East Editor

alks between the U.S. and
| Israel ended in tension last

week over each nation’s
polarized position on how to deal
with Iran and their almost certain
efforts at developing nuclear
weapons.

Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu of Israel and U.S.
President Barack Obama both

their military and obliterating their
nuclear facilities. We just don’t feel
it to be prudent.”

This disagreement in policy
is the strongest diplomatic row
facing U.S.-Israel relations since the
Carter administration. During those
years, relations hit an all-time low
when U.S. support for Israel went
from “unquestioning” to “almost
certain.”

However, Prime Minister
Netanyahu is putting a positive

“This disagreement in policy is the strongest diplomatic row facing
U.S.-Israel relations since the Carter administration. During those years,
relations hit an all-time low when U.S. support for Israel went from
‘unquestioning’ to ‘almost certain. ”

told reporters in Washington that
force was certainly an option in
dealing with the Islamic Republic.
However, while Netanyahu said
that Israel is “100 per cent ready”
to use force, Obama was positively
coy, saying that America was
“somewhere between 90 or 95 per
cent” likely to attack Iran.

The differences weren't
just limited to strategy; tactical
disagreements existed as well.

“Let me be clear: the U.S. is
not willing to deny that we have
considered a targeted, powerful
strike against Iran, crippling their
military and destroying their
nuclear facilities,” Obama told the
press gallery. “That said, we are
very apprehensive about Prime
Minister Netanyahu’s plan for a
precise strike against Iran, hobbling

22

spin on the whole issue.

“We thank you, President
Barack Obama, and indeed,
the American people, for your
continued support for the Nation
of Israel and democracy in our
region,” Netanyahu said, reading
from a prepared statement. “We
feel that your nation is on the
right track by proposing a series
of military actions leading to
widespread destruction and
complete strategic victory, but we
are sure that, in time, you will see
the need for armed conflict leading
to indiscriminate damage and total
practical victory.”

He concluded by saying, “Our
methods may be very different, but
our goals are somewhat similar.”

Policy analysts have taken note
of this abrupt change in mutual

 

policy and see it as a potential
turning point in the two nations’
relationship.

“The disparity between the
hawkishness of Mr. Netanyahu
vis-a-vis the reliance on diplomacy
preferred by Mr. Obama furthers
illustrates the complex relationship
that the U.S. and Israel share,”
said Jon Ben-David, analyst for
Bloomberg Media. “What we're
seeing here may simply be splitting

hairs at first glance, but represents a
real disjunction of policy objectives,
and could be the first sign of
America treating Israel with less
seriousness.”

Ben-David clarified his
comments by saying that entire last
quotation was a joke, and we were
suckers for believing it.

 

CJunencus typo:

Trapped in a rainy cage

By Livia Turnbull, Contributor

Trapped in a rainy cage
the raindrops find their
way through the holes
in the mesh and hit me
like a thousand missiles.

Still, this is nothing at all
compared to the sorrow
ever present in my heart.

I live with others in this cage

it stinks of piss, shit and old

food that has rotted away. “Eat”
the handlers say, forcing us to eat

this awful seed. The ones in training,

are the worst of them all. They feed
us this seed with force and they are
happy about it. Inane songs spring

from their tiny pink mouths as they

feed us from their tiny hands. I
would bite, but I’ve no teeth and
will to do so. The ones in training
will soon go into a yellow cage
that will transport them and their
colourful plastic skin to a place.

Soon, the handlers are gone
leaving me to gaze in this pool
of water that has collected by
my orange, webbed feet. I will.

I will find a way out of this hellhole
soon.

Because despite what the tag around
my

white, feathered, long neck tells me
to see

my name is not Mr. Ducky Mallard
Quackers.