Daniel Estrin

Daniel Estrin

Daniel Estrin is an American journalist. His radio stories have aired on The World, All Things Considered and Marketplace.

  • |
  • ALL POSTS

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Draws Red Line for Iran

September 27, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment
Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu draws red line on graphic of bomb used to represent Iran's nuclear program as he addresses 67th United Nations General Assembly in New York. (Photo: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)

Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu draws red line on graphic of bomb used to represent Iran's nuclear program as he addresses 67th United Nations General Assembly in New York. (Photo: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)

As he addressed delegates at the United Nations’ General Assembly in New York Thursday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a chart drawn in the shape of a fuse-bomb–and sectioned according to various stages of uranium enrichment–to make his point against the treat of Iran’s nuclear program.

Netanyahu, pointing a red marker to the top of the bomb-like chart then said: “Where should a red line be drawn? A red line should be drawn right here … before Iran completes a second stage of nuclear enrichment necessary to make a bomb.”

He said the UN sanctions against Iran do not work and have no effect on Iran’s nuclear program.

But a new Israeli government report seems to undercut that rhetoric, suggesting that economic sanctions are hitting Iran harder than previous believed.

Reporter Daniel Estrin in Jerusalem says Israel’s foreign ministry’s internal document, leaked to the press, shows that the sanctions are crippling Iran’s economy more than ever.

Discussion

One comment for “Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Draws Red Line for Iran”

  • yrag01

    Pretty clear, Netanyahu plans to force America to join it in war with Iran even though many Israeli’s have enough sense to see through his performance.

    And war with Iran—is that REALLY what Repubs want? To start essentially Iraq War #2? With more dead Americans and another TRILLION DOLLARS SQUANDERED?

    Interesting that Mitt Flipper attacks the President on this issue, yet says ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about what he as President WOULD DO ANY DIFFERENT THAN OBAMA. Why not Romney?

    QUESTION: What did the ‘mighty and courageous’ Bush Jr. do to North Korea while they OPENLY developed AND EXPLODED nuclear weapons right under his nose?

    ANSWER: Absolutely NOTHING.

    What would Mitt Stuffed Suit do ANY DIFFERENT? ANSWER: Absolutely NOTHING.

    I am DEEPLY concerned that Israel under Netanyahu is going to start A WAR that they expect US to finish—even though polls report only 19% of their own public supports unilateral action!

    Come on people—let’s NOT sacrifice America’s blood and treasure for Israel’s or anyone else’s ambitions. Folks you are you are SORELY fooling yourself if you don’t think Israel has every intention of not only dragging the US INTO war, but really having US fight their war for them.

    That’s what Bush Jr’s war in Iraq was all about—the charge was lead from behind by Wolfowitz, Fife, William Kristol and the other AIPAC – (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) sponsored neocons. And idiot Bush feel for it hook, line and sinker at the cost of thousands of American lives, limbs and over A TRILLION DOLLARS!

    Enough American BLOOD and TREASURE HAS BEEN SPILLED ABROAD. We need to get our own house in order, and not get sucked into Israel’s rhetoric, hysteria and machinations.

    If, Netanyahu—through scare tactics on American Jews, wants to suck the US into a war against Iran, then I say—NO—the US MUST stay out of it—NO MORE WAR!

    Iran’s government is awful, and awful to it’s own people—so many of who yearn for real democracy—so are A LOT of governments. IRAN IS NO MILITARY THREAT TO THE U.S.A.

    Also, I think we need to stop and ask a question here—What gives Israel the right to hold Iran to a higher standard of disclosure than itself?

    Israel HAS nuclear weapons people—had ‘em for YEARS, though for their own reasons they deny it—and—THEY did it all COVERTLY! If Iran were so foolish as to attack Israel, Israel has the weapons to retaliate without the US getting involved.

    Though the Iranian government is truly awful (especially to their own people), objectively, how is what they are doing any different or less reasonable for THEIR OWN defense than Israel?

    Do we really think Iran is stupid enough to start a nuclear war? I don’t.

    If the most erratic nation on earth—North Korea hasn’t started a nuclear conflagration, and blood enemies Pakistan and India hasn’t lobed missiles at each other, what is going to make Iran choose suicide (because that would be the result if THEY shot first—and they know it).

    Is our tail-wagging-the-dog ally Israel in any REAL disadvantage if Iran gets the Bomb? No. By all conservative estimates Israel has at least 200 sophisticated nuclear missiles—though they’ve never acknowledged that fact.

    Are we citizens going to allow the US into to get dragged into a war with Iran, simply because no American politician dares to say no to Israel–because they dare not go against the powerful and wealthy Israeli lobby here in the US (this is nothing against Jews in America and their MANY positive contributions to America—or to the many Jews within Israel who yearn for peace and correctly have great misgivings about the recklessness and overly aggressive approach of the Israeli Right’s leadership in regards to the Palestinians and Iran.

    I feel Israel has been driving the bus paid for by American tax payers FAR too long. If Israel want to act against Iran—I’d say go for it—but they WILL drag the US into WAR.

    If Israeli leaders are going to run US foreign policy by fiat, then we Americans should have the right to vote for ‘our’ Israeli leaders.