In a Senate hearing, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, posed an unusual and strange argument that “Iran seeks to develop nuclear weapons for deterrence only because it is surrounded by countries with nuclear weapons: Pakistan, Russia, Israel and U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf.” Careless statements by Israeli leaders regarding the ‘nuclear option’ constitute a potential danger to Israel, even involving the possibility of an end to U.S. financial aid due to the ‘Symington Amendment’ law.
A surprising statement towards the end of 2006 was made by the designated Secretary of Defense of the United States, Dr. Robert Gates, during the Senate hearings which were held prior to his approval for that position. In precise words, Gates shed a brilliant ray of sunlight that penetrated a thick layer of dark clouds Israel had laid out as cover regarding the alleged ‘nuclear’ secret it had kept hidden behind a curtain of impenetrable dark skies for nearly five decades. The affect of Dr. Gates statement was like a burst of lightning through those thick and dark clouds of avoidance of that subject, when he declared to the Senate that “Israel has nuclear weapons“.
Gates did not claim that it was his personal opinion or was based on the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies, but his unexpected exposure was introduced in the Senate as a fact. That one statement seemingly put an end to Israel’s policy of nuclear ambiguity. Even if one can assume that his ‘bombastic’ statement caused damage to Israel’s security, what turned into a more puzzling situation was a more serious remark, the follow up statement of Gates, that “Iran basically aims to develop nuclear weapons for deterrence only because it is surrounded by countries with nuclear weapons: Pakistan to the east, Russia to the north, Israel to the west and U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf”.......Continue reading
A surprising statement towards the end of 2006 was made by the designated Secretary of Defense of the United States, Dr. Robert Gates, during the Senate hearings which were held prior to his approval for that position. In precise words, Gates shed a brilliant ray of sunlight that penetrated a thick layer of dark clouds Israel had laid out as cover regarding the alleged ‘nuclear’ secret it had kept hidden behind a curtain of impenetrable dark skies for nearly five decades. The affect of Dr. Gates statement was like a burst of lightning through those thick and dark clouds of avoidance of that subject, when he declared to the Senate that “Israel has nuclear weapons“.
Gates did not claim that it was his personal opinion or was based on the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies, but his unexpected exposure was introduced in the Senate as a fact. That one statement seemingly put an end to Israel’s policy of nuclear ambiguity. Even if one can assume that his ‘bombastic’ statement caused damage to Israel’s security, what turned into a more puzzling situation was a more serious remark, the follow up statement of Gates, that “Iran basically aims to develop nuclear weapons for deterrence only because it is surrounded by countries with nuclear weapons: Pakistan to the east, Russia to the north, Israel to the west and U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf”.......Continue reading