Thursday, December 07, 2006

Thanks Huckleberry.

Gates' hearing from democracynow:
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham also questioned Gates about the possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons in the context of posing a threat to Israel.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Do you believe the Iranians are trying to acquire nuclear weapons capability?

GATES: Yes, sir, I do.

GRAHAM: Do you believe the president of Iran is lying when he says he's not?

GATES: Yes, sir.

GRAHAM: Do you believe the Iranians would consider using that nuclear weapons capability against the nation of Israel?

GATES: I don't know that they would do that, Senator. I think that the risks for them obviously are enormously high. I think that they see value --

GRAHAM: If I may?

GATES: Yes, sir.

GRAHAM: The president of Iran has publicly disavowed the existence of the Holocaust, he has publicly stated that he would like to wipe Israel off the map. Do you think he's kidding?

GATES: No, I don't think he's kidding. And -- but I think that there are, in fact, higher powers in Iran than he, than the president. And I think that while they are certainly pressing, in my opinion, for a nuclear capability, I think that they would see it in the first instance as a deterrent. They are surrounded by powers with nuclear weapons -- Pakistan to their east, the Russians to the north, the Israelis to the west, and us in the Persian Gulf --

GRAHAM: Can you assure the Israelis that they will not attack Israel with a nuclear weapon, if they acquire one?

GATES: No, sir, I don't think that anybody can provide that assurance.
Thanks Huckleberry.

5 comments:

Don said...

The upside: Gates seems to be firmly grounded in reality and history (ie: MAD), and seems to be fighting to hold onto it while under fire.

The downside: In some minds at least, the so-called "1% Doctrine" lives on.

The real downside: You kinda hope Gates, whatever his past transgressions, stays clean in his new role. Should he ever become embroiled in a scandal... ("Gates-gate" anyone?)

Track said...

If Graham is so worried about it, where the F**K was the oversight for the AQ Khan BS?

The exchange for some reason made me think of this:

Graham: Will send you US soldiers to Meggido?

Gates: Huh?

Graham: Do you believe the threat posed by Gog and Magog is the #1 concern you will face as SoD?

Gates: Huh?

Graham: F**k this. You haven't read any Jenkins/Lahaye books have you? Yeah, all we need is another "Realist" who doesn't get it.

Anonymous said...

"Gates-gate" HA! Maybe that would finally lay that lazy-assed scandal-tag to rest. Permanently. I had hopes that the -gate tag would go away during the Iran-Contra hearings when Aaron Brown, then an anchor at a local TV station here, dubbed that one 'Iranamok' . . .

Noise, You must've forgotten. ;-) Since the election, the thugs now have to scramble to make themselves look like they are capable of 'oversight' if only so they don't end up more embarrassed come January than they already expect to be. Besides that, the poor dears are so out of practice.

Don said...

'Iranamok'

ROTFLMMFAO!!!!

Anonymous said...

Don, hahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! aahhhhh, that felt good. *lights cig*