Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday at the Pentagon to reassure him that the diplomatic window on Iran is closing and that, despite tough fiscal times in Washington, exorbitant amounts of aid to Israel would not be affected.
According to the Pentagon, “Secretary Hagel expressed his strong commitment to Israel’s security, including maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge and continued US support for missile and rocket defense systems in spite of fiscal constraints.”
“Secretary Hagel and Minister Barak,” the Pentagon statement adds, “agreed that the United States-Israeli defense relationship has never been stronger than during the Obama administration and that both nations will continue this unprecedented close cooperation.”
On Iran, Hagel reiterated the US position to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapons with all options on the table – Washington’s euphemism for military action.
In their two hour meeting, the two officials also addressed the war in Syria, pledging “to continue US-Israel contingency planning to counter that potential threat.”
Many observers who expected Hagel, who had a reputation for issuing harsh criticisms of Israel, to differentiate the US relationship with Israel at least slightly, have thus far been disappointed by his close adherence to the Obama administration’s approach over the last four years.
Guess he may be the Israeli Senator after all.
Guess he may be the Israeli Senator after all.
Don't guess 🙂 …. as the saying goes "actions speak louder …" . He just showed that he IS a Israeli Senator .
Meet the new boss..same as the old boss……. I was not "fooled again"…… the minute you defend promote or accept any actions of the Department of War…you condone Empire and its logical applications and results…. Orwellian perpetual wars for perpetual peace(and debt!) is what we get to enjoy as Americans…..and its Bipartisan too!
Woo! Obama is really gonna stick it to the Zionists during his second term!
Business as usual!
I see that traitor Michael Oren is standing in the background…
There yon go Hagel you are proven to be the man we spook about…, a non trustworthy man.
Our legislature, executive and federal bureaucracy is completely controlled by Israel and it'fifth coumn in the US. For a nanosecond I had the merest whiff of hope. We, America, are doomed.
Just don't vote for anyone who spouts support for Israel–they think 98% of American cares about Israel–we don't.
Uff, I am so happy, that Israel will not come short. Obama, Bidden and company will rather starve or kill in drone attacs half of US citizens than to cut even one dollar from Israeli welfare check. Real patriots know that welfare handouts is not good for people except Israelis.
I am sooo shocked!!
"I'm felatin' it boss, Still felatin' it!'
I said this before, to be approved by Knesset West, or the senate, he had to be neutered.
Beware…
The pomp of Versailles cost a king his head.
Our Versailles is the Pentagon and Israel where drones and nuclear weapons have replaced the lace and ribbons, where stealing the livelihood of the people is the new game played on the "global market."
F-ck Chuck
The more it changes the more it stays the same. According to PBS the number of unemployed Americans is close to [officially] 15 million and the number of Americans who are considered below the poverty line [what ever that is] is increasingly reaching into the multi millions and that Israel will still get its BILLIONS DESPITE OUR fiscal troubles proves who controls this nation.
Maybe its time we Americans become Israeli citizens and forget the "home of the brave and the land of the free". Its just plain disgusting.
It is time for us Americans to revolt . Voting in a usurped democracy is useless.
Justin, perhaps you have something to say about Mr. Hagel's foot-kissing remarks—–like " He sure fooled me! —- this Zionist sh-t is deeper than any reasonable person would even guess."
Barak opposes his country men's, like Nut-man-yahu, views on Iran. Barak does not see Iran as eminent threat. Truth does not come from one piece of document–which is the bulk of the negative comments are based. Had I not been here, all these nuckle heads would turn their backs on Hagel for the wrong reason–and I question the purpose of this website and the host's agenda and his knowledge on this matter–it is just as bad and disingenuous and the media flash point BS!
You do not get into any political position of power unless you completely submit to the wishes of the Lobby.
It's almost impossible to find a politician that truly adheres to principle, has genuine conviction and has a clear and realistic understanding of our foreign policy and America's overreaching. Hagel's weak and pathetic responses during his confirmation hearings illustrate this. When he made those "controversial" remarks he may have been speaking form his heart and head, but he lacks the real conviction to stand on and stand by principle.
OOOOOOOOOOO………. YEAH…. !! What a surprise… !!!! He should have kept mum…… It's a signal? Or some tit…. in a tit for tat ….. WHATZ-ZAT…. Yes….. Yes…. I know…… Gotta keep G-d happy…….. It'll be a two hooker week end foo all the booyz….. Bleed thoz dweebs…. and bleed'em good…
And be sure to check… "Centcom Chief Rejects Diplomacy, Says Iran Must Be ‘Brought to Its Knees" by Jason Ditz. (in which) General Mattis concedes that he is “paid to take a rather dim view of the Iranians,” BEGS the question, by WHOM? ……. (Maybe more important) How much of the "aid" is employed to 'convince' reporters, politicians and apparently generals too… to subsume America's interests to those of the aid recipient?
But there I go again with those conspiracy theories.. Obama's first appointment … and… and the AIPAC whitewash…
"At the heart of the investigation are two people who work at The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a powerful pro-Israel lobby in Washington. The FBI investigation, headed up by Dave Szady, has involved wiretaps, undercover surveillance and photography that CBS News was told document the passing of classified information from the mole, to the men at AIPAC, and on to the Israelis. "
In the end though, the "Os" decided there was nothing to see… Just move along (like the torture and destruction of WHAT those tortured 911 perps SAID)……….. YOU the reader, You the voter… You the American..,. don't really need to KNOW….. Don't worry, our leaders know, and they have decided it's better if YOU don't.! …. So…… Don't try to petition the government to find out… You will be told that you have no "standing" …………… and the constitution is just a piece of paper…… Who needs it when we have such wise leaders….. AND LOOK… SMILES ALL AROUND…. They are smiling at YOU! Laughing would not be P C …….
The Israelis have infected the Pentagon and ever other agency in government. Hagel will not give us the change we all hoped for. Why are the American people being bled for this?
Hagel is the latest high profile asset to be acquired by the Israelis. He's just been bought.
O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!
My tables,–meet it is I set it down,
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain;
At least I'm sure it may be so in the USA!!
We have to hold off on negatives and give Hagel a chance. The article could have hidden agenda to turn support away from Hagel. Too early to judge him. I have faith in him but not his administrative group–they he has to get rid of and seeks out fresh talking brains.
Barak's view is that Iran is NOT a threat to Israel–read US and Israeli sources depicting Barak's dissent with the Nut-man-yahu [sic]. The negative comments on Hagel is premature and shallow. This is what we have to stay away from–emotional responses–if you are going to make the proper difference you can't act like the rest of the easily triggered idiots. Barak takes a very different view from the nut-jobs in Israel. Just because it's Israel does not mean they are all like that–we have to support and stand on the side of factual truth not visual flash hype!!! We do have to get rid of the Israeli-operatives in our gov't–focus on that and demand all candidate pledge and swear support for the United States first before any foreign entity. Campaign money won't buy them votes if you don't support them.
"We do have to get rid of the Israeli-operatives in our gov't"
Can I take the above as a call for anarchy?
"focus on that and demand all candidate pledge and swear support for the United States first before any foreign entity."
Any solution which requires politicians and or candidates to be truthful or honest won't work until lie detection technology has been vastly improved. Even worse, there is the spectre of "making God happy" to worry about too. Face it, there is NO solution except informed and wise voters.
Not even a week in office, and what is the MOST important message Hagel wanted to get out first? Israel…Israel…Israel!
President Hugo Chavez — Greatest statesman the world has ever known
If you can’t kill and man’s truth, then kill his reputation.
And if that don’t work, then you kill the man.
Did you know that some forms of cancer are highly
contagious, such as leprosy?
I can only hope that Chuck is playing Israel's game which is syaing one thing and doing another, while lying your friggin' ass off. I fully expect the Israelis to have the shameless nerve to be exempted from the budget cuts. That's just how they are. I hoped that Chuck might have grown a pair and told Barak that times were tough and that the IDF might have to cut back just a little on their ammo and construction budgets. But no, unless he's being appropriately deceptive it's just the same ol' BS.
Is the depiction of Hagel as having “genuflected like a true and loyal servant” of Israel overly rude? He made it clear that military aid to Israel (not for security but for supremacy) would take precedence during this time of U.S. budget crisis over meeting the needs of the U.S. population. He went far beyond expressing a commitment to protect the Israeli people from aggression; rather, he guaranteed to maintain regional Israeli military supremacy, a move that meets the minimum demands of the Israeli war party (their maximal demands would be for U.S. war against Iran) and aggravates regional tensions–thus imperiling Israeli security–by teaching the whole region that force is the only language Washington understands. Is putting the political interests of the Israeli right wing ahead of the economic issues facing the U.S. population genuflection or not? You be the judge.
Hagel might have stated that the U.S. supports the national security of Israel and every other regional society while opposing warOne could argue that there was no particular need for Hagel to go out of his way to antagonize the Israeli regime, but he might have mentioned in passing that the US is a sovereign state and will make decisions about war and peace on the basis of its own national security. He might have mentioned that the US supports the security of all regional states. He might have mentioned that national security is one thing, while aggression is another. He might have offered a vision of a Mideast free of the specter of nuclear conflict via the acceptance by all regional states of the concept of nuclear transparency. But those are big statements, and it is hard to enunciate them when you are on your knees.
Under the Symington Amendment of the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act, Israel is not entitled to one penny of US taxpayer support, because – as has been validated by both former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former US President Carter, that Israel has nuclear weapons, but will not be a signatory to the NNPT, nor will it allow IAEA inspection of their facilities.
I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. Just to be sure. The site being DC.
All the Homeland Security, attacks on Muslim countries, imprisoning of Muslims for "terrorism" if they help charities in Muslim lands, NATO takeovers, fawning on any Israeli politician use up resources which should be used for Mercans. Health, education, infrastructure, environmental protection, housing, retirement savings,public transport are cast aside in a frenzied attack on alleged terrorism against the USA and Israel. Military might, threats, invasions are the only "options on the table" for any disagreement with a designated enemy. Negotiation is avoided at all costs. No wonder the USA and Israel are on such good terms, sharing the same "values".
#yonatan,
Hagel just was awarded the the first "Golden Donkey"
What a relief, huh everybody? NOW we know what's most important! Money for the American aircraft carrier in the Middle East so they don't kill everyone in the area and in Western Europe or start screaming HOLOCAUST DENIERS!!
Whatever, Hagel. You disappoint me, SOB
What will it take for the American people to finally say enough?
Sure doesn't do much to dispel the commonly held notion of MONEYGRUBBERS does it.
You people may not remember this. Around 6months after hurricane Katrina Israel had the nerve to ask for 200 million dollars in aid. ( OF COURSE THEY GOT IT!. )
They needed it to pay for their attack on Gaza.
Hagel may not have been an Israeli senator, but is he an Israeli cabinet minister?