White House coy on reported Israeli request for bombs, planes

The White House tap danced Thursday around questions about news reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the Obama administration for massive "bunker-buster" bombs and long-range refueling planes that could play a role in a strike on Iran. Israeli media accounts said that Washington agreed in return for a pledge that any such attack would not happen in 2012.

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Ok. Assuming this request did occur (and we dont really know for sure that it did btw) I've some questions about this.

1. Should we provide or sell weapons that Israel could and probably would use to strike Iran? Why?

2. Why would Washington want Israel to pledge NOT to attack in 2012?

Dennis324 wrote:
1. Should we provide or sell weapons that Israel could and probably would use to strike Iran? Why?

2. Why would Washington want Israel to pledge NOT to attack in 2012?

1. Nope, 'cos if you do and the operation goes wrong (or even if it goes right), people are going to know where the weapons came from. Iran wouldn't be able to retaliate directly but you'd see more suport for Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist organizations, possibly with the proviso that they set up attacks on american soil/citizens in exchange for the help.

2. See answer to #1 above - you don't want that to be happening in an election year.....

An election year. You mean Obsama doesnt want this happening in an election year? Why?

Dennis324 wrote:An election year. You mean Obsama doesnt want this happening in an election year? Why?

Obsama? Is that a typo, a freudian slip, or are you implying something? :-P

Well, no sitting president is going to want that sort of thing going off in an election year, apart from the repercussions of the attack itself (destablilizing the region, risk of retaliatory terrorist attacks etc) it gives the opposition a pretty big stick to beat him with - either "how could you let this happen, why can't you control the israelis?" or "why didn't we do this ourselves and sooner?" (or probably both, conveniently ignoring the fact that they're opposite and contradictory arguments....)

Lol! I cant type on this new laptop. (and wasnt too good at typing on my old desktop either).