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Name:
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Yankee06
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Subject:
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Really Scary
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Date:
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9/24/2009 4:39:45 PM
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HOw is Israel key to our national security? --good question. Two main answers: 1) it is Not key to security; 2) it provides us key intelligence (both human and technical) on the mid-east that we can't seem to get on our own.
-My assessment has always been that Israel is not key to our national security but its continued existence is key to our national interests.
-Let me explain:
1) We birthed this nation after WWII. Thus much like a child we are "responsible" for its continued well being. True eventually, like a child, it should be responsible for its own well being. A parent wants that, but in time of troubles and real need, a good/responsible parent will never turn on her child. OK, the analogy might not be the best, but hopefully we get the idea.
2) Once birthed, we became allies and have been allies ever since. This alliance is not really a quid-pro-quo relationship (e.g., I'm key to your security: you're key to my security --although there is a q-p-q in that we do expect to receive Israeli intell on teh mid-east---which we don't always get; and they expect about $3 bllion foreign aid per year). But primarily this relationship is a shared interest/goals relationship. Israel is a democracy, and at the highest strategic levels it is important that the US maintain the democracies that exist and whereever possible promote teh emergence of more. It is part of teh political philosphy the "no man is free, until all men are free!"
3) being a national ally of Israel is detrimental to our national security. The support of Israel puts us at odds with all other countries in teh middle east, --even those like Egypt and Jordan which support us on some issues. If Israel did not exist, teh middle east nations would almost be solidly in teh US camp.
-Present: I believe Obama tinks all this strategic partner stuff relative teh middle east is old Cold War stuff, that needs to be dumped for a new mid-east policy for teh 21st century. In this mid-east policy, Israel and other nations are on a more equal footing realtive US interests. Obama is trying a very chancy policy in the mid-east, --he is trying to assure everyone on both sides that teh US will defend the existence of Israel, but at the same time will not support all of Israel's activities, e.g., Israeli housing in occupied areas. He sees no chance of moving forward in teh mid-east without this new approach. However, it is chancy for several reasons:
1) Israel questions his true commitmnet to Israel.
2) Mid-east nations question his commitment to Israel
3) US Jews are a domestic voting and money block that are hughly democratic; Obama chances alienating them
With Obama's new approach and people like Brzezinski saying the US should shoot down Isreali planes flying over Iraq to destroy Iranian nuke facilities, both isreal and its enemies might make serious misjudgements.
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