Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Chutzpah Watch

This should go over well in the Middle East:
The United States has asked Israel to check the possibility of pumping oil from Iraq to the oil refineries in Haifa. The request came in a telegram last week from a senior Pentagon official to a top Foreign Ministry official in Jerusalem.

The Prime Minister's Office, which views the pipeline to Haifa as a "bonus" the U.S. could give to Israel in return for its unequivocal support for the American-led campaign in Iraq, had asked the Americans for the official telegram.
Yes, we're deeply indebted to Israel for its crucial support on Iraq. It wasn't assured, after all. And "asked the Americans for the official telegram"? Did the Pentagon take dictation over the phone?


Update: A reader notes in the comments section that this appears to be an old report. Free Republic, TPM Cafe, Juan Cole, and others made the same mistake I did in thinking it was current. The problem is some sort of internet software glitch that's explained in detail here.

12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ha! That pipeline better be made of indestructible material....like Korans.

8/01/2007 1:58 AM  
Blogger Vercules said...

Oh, Dear.
America is all done. Exactly when it happened I can't say. 9/12 perhaps. Probably much earlier though.
Get an SKS, Glock 40, and as many Krugerands as you can afford.
Buy a small cabin in the woods.
Better yet, prepare to emigrate.

It just seems that everyday, everything is more wrong.
Will it end?

8/01/2007 2:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm of jewish heritage, and yet if i bring this sort of thing up in certain non-jewish circles i get called an anti-semite.

odd.

8/01/2007 9:21 AM  
Blogger Vercules said...

anon,
define "this sort of thing".

8/01/2007 11:47 AM  
Blogger LFC said...

A pipeline ... to Israel ... from Iraq. You can just paint the pipeline white with big red targets on it.

Looks like Bush is back on the sauce, or has perhaps "upgraded" to crack.

8/01/2007 12:56 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"this sort of thing"

One clear reason we are in Iraq is to benefit the State of Israel. Why we are doing that has a lot to do with the same reason we won't open relations with Cuba. There's a strong lobbying group that has undue influence on US foriegn policy. Which is why that policy is often to the detriment to US best interests.

Or much more simply "Just because a US policy is good for Israel, does not mean it's good for the US."

or even more to the point.
"Israel and the US are different nations with different interests."

Stuff like that....

8/01/2007 1:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Possibly good news: According to this site, the Haaretz article is several years old, and the (insane) pipeline idea never got off the ground. Some quick googling seems to verify the central doubt about the Haaretz piece.

On a marginally related note, outfits like the WaPo can look over their should and whine about the rude upstart internet, but I've yet to see them self-correct at anything like the same pace. Or at all, now that I think of it....
-- sglover

8/01/2007 5:30 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Get an SKS, Glock 40, and as many Krugerands as you can afford....
There is a man who knows what he is talking about.

8/01/2007 6:01 PM  
Blogger Vercules said...

Interesting coverage on NPR today about Condi's latest visit to Israel.
Apparently the Israelis are completely fed up with Bush and Condi.
She didn't make the front page of any of the major papers.
It was also reported that Israeli voices think that Israel and the US have become TOO close.
They want the US to be harder on Israel.
They're also none too happy about all the political capital wasted on Iraq.

Anon,
you must be a "self hating Jew". (just kidding) That's the usual charge laid at the feet of Jews who go off the reservation and don't swallow Likud whole.

8/01/2007 7:13 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Any bets that that pipeline will get blown up x number of times and it will ever get finished?

Does anyone also think there are enough suicidal workers around who are willing to built it. The carnage at the worksite would be unbeliveable.

I thought I had just about heard all the stupidity possible from this administration, I guess I was wrong.

8/01/2007 10:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Chronological glitches? I guess Ted Stevens is clogging those Intertoobz again! -- Anne Laurie

8/02/2007 1:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wonder who will get the contract to build the pipeline? Halliburton perhaps?

8/02/2007 6:22 AM  

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