WSJ: Israel Spied on Iran Nuclear Talks With U.S.

Wall Street Journal: Israel Spied on Iran Nuclear Talks With U.S.

Soon after the U.S. and other major powers entered negotiations last year to curtail Iran’s nuclear program, senior White House officials learned Israel was spying on the closed-door talks.

The spying operation was part of a broader campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to penetrate the negotiations and then help build a case against the emerging terms of the deal, current and former U.S. officials said. In addition to eavesdropping, Israel acquired information from confidential U.S. briefings, informants and diplomatic contacts in Europe, the officials said.

Israel has made major war in the Middle East their top priority, and this latest Israeli fiasco is proof of that. How can the EU or Arab states in the ME be expected to treat the talks seriously, when it is patently obvious that neocons in the US and Israel are doing everything they can to sabotage talks?

a reply to: Blackmarketeer
and yet the land Israel occupies was taken when Arab nations invaded Israel.

Considering Obama's track record I don't blame Israel for spying on the negotiations. After all they have an interest in the outcome and will be the ones forced to live with any agreement Obama makes. Since Obama is bound and determined to bypass Congress on the agreement it makes one wonder what exactly Obama is giving away he doesn't want others to see.

Israel is not the only nation condemning this action with the US and Iran so I am a bit curious as to why they are the focus.

a reply to: Blackmarketeer

How can the EU or Arab states in the ME be expected to treat the talks seriously, when it is patently obvious that neocons in the US and Israel are doing everything they can to sabotage talks?

They can't. It would take a public admonishment of Israel's behavior from Obama and other word leaders involved. And that won't happen.

For as long as we continue to protect Israel ( from itself at this point, considering the fiasco that government is) the more things will escalate. Israel requires a more moderate government to deal with these issues.

It's obvious Bibi's cabinet is nothing but war mongers and religious fanatics. I for one am glad for all this bad press coming up about Israel and the US relationship falling apart. It's the only thing that allowed them to act this way for so long.

Once they loose that support, they won't have a choice. They'll either commit to their own destruction in some weird, self fulfilling prophecy or learn to be adults.

~Tenth

a reply to: Xcathdra

Since Obama is bound and determined to bypass Congress on the agreement it makes one wonder what exactly Obama is giving away he doesn't want others to see.

Which isn't actually anything out of the ordinary...



Why is it that we cry foul in this case, when the vast majority of international agreements are done without any Congressional or Senate approval?

~Tenth

a reply to: Blackmarketeer


Pfft.

What deal are you going to make with a nation who's leader only last week led a "Death to America" rally.


Seriously, wake up and understand that you fight the people trying to kill you and not give them more time to go get bigger weapons to kill you with.

The deal an only deal worth talking about is the development of their Natural Gas resources which will power their country for a 1000 years in exchange for dismantling all nuclear technology.

Done deal. They have the 2nd largest natural gas reserves 2nd only to Russia.

They have enough gas for internal usage and selling as much as they can pump out with room to spare.

a reply to: Blackmarketeer

Doesn't really say anything that I wouldn't have presumed anyway.
A newspaper from a country that does exactly the same thing, highlights someone else doing the same thing.....

from the source:

As the WSJ notes, citing remarks from U.S. officials, the "U.S. expends more counterintelligence resources fending off Israeli spy operations than any other close ally."

That's not an ally. Israel has played the victim card too long, their naked aggression is now exposed. They are no ally to the U.S. and it's about time a U.S. administration showed some backbone in dealing with war hawks in Israel.

The P5+1 nations will not approve new sanctions and may not even keep in place current sanctions since "we" are negotiating in bad faith. The 47 senators who tried to sabotage talks along with the Netanyahu regime should be repudiated.

According to the WSJ, "Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer met with U.S. lawmakers and shared details on the Iran negotiations to warn about the terms of the deal" as a way to undermine the talks.

Plotting with the leader of a foreign nation?

a reply to: Blackmarketeer

Israel spying on America?

Nothing new.

originally posted by: BiffTurkenton
from the source:

As the WSJ notes, citing remarks from U.S. officials, the "U.S. expends more counterintelligence resources fending off Israeli spy operations than any other close ally."

That's not an ally. Israel has played the victim card too long, their naked aggression is now exposed. They are no ally to the U.S. and it's about time a U.S. administration showed some backbone in dealing with war hawks in Israel.

The P5+1 nations will not approve new sanctions and may not even keep in place current sanctions since "we" are negotiating in bad faith. The 47 senators who tried to sabotage talks along with the Netanyahu regime should be repudiated.

......and then the emperor invoked the emergency war powers act and suspended congress, while at the same time readying the grand army of the republic to bomb more brown people...

It seems to me you have several members of your Congress plotting alongside Israel to undermine your own government.

Will the Hawks prevail and get their war? That is the stated goal of both Israel and your Neocons who outlines their schemes in the Project for a New American Century.

Israel's actions have proven them to be neither friend nor ally to the American government, they see your government as nothing more than a means to an end, laying waste to all it's enemies. Spying and manipulating your lawmakers is how they'll achieve that goal.

originally posted by: Macabe
It seems to me you have several members of your Congress plotting alongside Israel to undermine your own government.

Will the Hawks prevail and get their war? That is the stated goal of both Israel and your Neocons who outlines their schemes in the Project for a New American Century.

Israel's actions have proven them to be neither friend nor ally to the American government, they see your government as nothing more than a means to an end, laying waste to all it's enemies. Spying and manipulating your lawmakers is how they'll achieve that goal.

The US should cut off all aid to Israel, financial, military, or otherwise .. and then see if the squaking still continues ..
It is safe to assume all the senators and congress men/women who signed the letter to Iran, to undermine Obama, are among the trouble makers conspiring in dark corners, against their own government - they should be stripped of all immunity, stripped of their citizenship, as treason is equal to domestic terrorism .. and then shipped to gitmo for 'interrogation' ..

a reply to: Blackmarketeer

"Russians do it, Americans do, it even the Britts and Daesh do it

Let's all do it, let's spy around"

The quote from the song had some small changes. Lol


In the real world almost all nations spy on each other but I'm sure most will gloss over that point. It's so much more fun to hate. ( sigh)

originally posted by: Xcathdra
a reply to: Blackmarketeer
and yet the land Israel occupies was taken when Arab nations invaded Israel.

Yes, we know. Israel illegally annexed another peoples land and never gave it back. They claim that Israel was "about" to be attacked but the fact remains that Israel strike first and then claimed victim as usual and even set aside their own reparations. When Israel "feels" attacked, they murder people.

Why didn't the allies keep Germany? Japan? Why didn't we keep Afghanistan or Iraq? They were attacking the west or prepared to attack with WMDs. Israel would have kept it all.

I know why. The US, UK, Canada and the other first world western powers actually have some respect for the rule of law and civility. Israel is a rabid dog with no human qualities what so ever.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

Because in this case the US has sanctions on Iran that only Congress can remove. Considering Iran is demanding the sanctions be removed before a final agreement is made my original question stands.

What is Obama hiding in this deal he doesn't want people to see?

a reply to: MALBOSIA

Except in this case Jordan relinquished their claims on the west bank and Egypt did so on Gaza. Israel also offered to return the Golan heights to Syria in exchange for recognition and a peace treaty.

Syria said no.

Why has Egypt placed their own blockade on Gaza for their border?

Don't start a war and then bitch about loosing territory.

Iran does not recognize Israel and has consistently called for it to be removed from the map. Israel has every right to know what's going on with this nuclear issue as they are going to be the first target of an Iranian bomb.

originally posted by: junglimogli

originally posted by: Macabe
It seems to me you have several members of your Congress plotting alongside Israel to undermine your own government.

Will the Hawks prevail and get their war? That is the stated goal of both Israel and your Neocons who outlines their schemes in the Project for a New American Century.

Israel's actions have proven them to be neither friend nor ally to the American government, they see your government as nothing more than a means to an end, laying waste to all it's enemies. Spying and manipulating your lawmakers is how they'll achieve that goal.

The US should cut off all aid to Israel, financial, military, or otherwise .. and then see if the squaking still continues ..
It is safe to assume all the senators and congress men/women who signed the letter to Iran, to undermine Obama, are among the trouble makers conspiring in dark corners, against their own government - they should be stripped of all immunity, stripped of their citizenship, as treason is equal to domestic terrorism .. and then shipped to gitmo for 'interrogation' ..

The war plans were put into place in the previous regime of neocons, and since then they've continued to move it forward, even if it means undermining the current regime and plotting against it, "conspiring in dark corners," as you say. They are the definition of "traitors." But, as usual, they'll invoke some Iranian ex-president chanting "Israel must be wiped off the face of the map" (never mind that is a mistaken quote) to justify their criminal actions.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Because in this case the US has sanctions on Iran that only Congress can remove.

That's besides the point. Congress would vote on the agreement after it was completed, just like ANY OTHER treaty that's being negotiated by the State Department. That's not bypassing congress, they aren't part of these portions of the negotiations.

And Historically so as well, so why bitch about it?

Considering Iran is demanding the sanctions be removed before a final agreement is made my original question stands.

That's shop talk and you know it. Iran has actually been quite good at keeping up the negotiations and not acting like children this time around.

Both Congress & Israel are GUILTY of disrupting the state department and potentially ruining an international peace treaty. All because they want to prove whose got the bigger stick.

What is Obama hiding in this deal he doesn't want people to see?

Again Nothing. Virtually ALL other treaties are handled in the EXACT SAME WAY. Nothing is revealed until or unless congress is required in order to approve portions of the agreement.

So again tell me, what has Obama done that countless other Presidents and Administrations have not, that warrants this kind of reckless behavior by Congress and Israel?

~Tenth

Right...and wheres the disgust that our government spys on us and everyone else in the enrire world all the time.

you folks make me laugh getting up in arms about Isreal spying, Im no fan of their tactics, but give me a freaking break.

originally posted by: tothetenthpower

That's besides the point. Congress would vote on the agreement after it was completed, just like ANY OTHER treaty that's being negotiated by the State Department. That's not bypassing congress, they aren't part of these portions of the negotiations.

And Historically so as well, so why bitch about it?

because in this case Obama and Kerry both have stated that this type of agreement needs no Congressional approval. They are ignoring the fact sanctions are in place, which Congress and only Congress can remove. The deal is calling for sanctions to be removed before Iran agrees to the rest of the treaty. Secondly those Presidents have not kept Congress in the dark.

Maybe I missed it but where has Obama asked Congress to remove the sanctions?
When has the Obama administration filled in the relevant congressional committees?

When the agreement restores trade Congress is very much required to be involved. Ignoring that fact doesn't change anything.

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
That's shop talk and you know it. Iran has actually been quite good at keeping up the negotiations and not acting like children this time around.

Then feel free to tell the IAEA your thoughts being they just stated they cant verify Iranian compliance because on 12 outstanding issues dealing with nuclear weapons, Iran has only agreed to address 1 issue. Iran has been caught buying items that can only be used in nuclear weapons development. If they are developing a bomb then why do they need those items? why does Iran need software for testing yield explosions?

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
Both Congress & Israel are GUILTY of disrupting the state department and potentially ruining an international peace treaty. All because they want to prove whose got the bigger stick.

Israel is a sovereign nation and can behave in any matter it sees fit for its own national security. Congress has the right and authority to seek answers when those answers are being withheld by the President.


It has nothing to do with a bigger stick and everything to do with ensuring Obama doesn't sell out the US and Israel in an effort to legacy build. Obama has no clue what he is doing and it has shown with failure after failure and scandal after scandal.

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
Again Nothing. Virtually ALL other treaties are handled in the EXACT SAME WAY. Nothing is revealed until or unless congress is required in order to approve portions of the agreement.

No they are not when sanctions are present.

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
So again tell me, what has Obama done that countless other Presidents and Administrations have not, that warrants this kind of reckless behavior by Congress and Israel?

~Tenth

They have not created treaties with nations who were still under sanctions (US AND UN might I add) and those Presidents have not gone out of their way to ignore congress, their oversight and their authority when it comes to sanctions and who can lawfully remove them.

So again, please tell me why Obama is behaving in a manner that violates the Constitution while trying to keep Congress, and ALL congress, in the dark on this issue? Why have they taken steps to classify the terms of the deal with Iran in an effort to restrict who sees it? Has it occurred to you that the classification application is designed to prevent the test from being released and allows the President to go after those who release info on it.

what part of separation of powers and check and balances are you not understanding?


What is Obama hiding and why?