US military chief Mike Mullen (R) with IDF Chief Ashkenazi
Photo: AFP
America doesn’t trust us
Visits by top US officials meant to ensure Israel doesn’t strike Iran
You do not have permission to surprise us and embark on a military move vis-à-vis Iran
without first coordinating it with us – this is the bottom line left behind by Admiral Michael Mullen, the US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He is not the first American envoy arriving here in order to make this message clear, and he will not be the last one either – Vice President Joe Biden will be arriving in Israel next month.
The message is unequivocal: Later on, don’t claim there was a misunderstanding. There will be no Israeli military operations against Iran that we do not know of in advance and approve.
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Hanan Greenberg
Defense minister meets US military chief, says states working together to strengthen Israel's security
The reality beyond the hugs, kisses, smiles, and flashy visits is that the Americans don’t trust us. They hear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resolutely telling them that Iran’s nuke program constitutes an existential threat for Israel and they are very concerned.
The Americans fear that Israel will not be level-headed enough and that it won’t properly assess the aftershocks of a military strike on Iran – fire on various regional fronts, such as in the north vis-à-vis Hezbollah and the Syrians, coupled with the collapse of Arab regimes in the region.
Admiral Mullen undertook a very unusual step when it comes to America’s diplomatic conduct. He started his visit in Israel with a surprising press conference that was not planned in advance and spoke about the undesirable results of an Iran strike. In his meetings with top Israeli defense officials he likely spoke much more concretely.
When Biden visits, he will put less focus on the Defense Ministry and IDF, and more focus on the prime minister and on Israel’s public opinion.
China, Russia onboard
The sanctions on Iran are getting closer. According to American sources, China informed the permanent members of the UN Security Council that it will be willing to accept a decision to impose “tolerable” sanctions on Iran. Should the sanctions be very moderate, the Chinese promised, they will abstain in the vote or simply not show up.For the Americans, this is a great achievement. The US would indeed impose sanctions even without the Security Council, yet a Council resolution on sanctions, as lukewarm as these may be, would provide America with an umbrella for escalating the actions vis-à-vis Iran.
In recent days, the Americans managed to convince one of the Persian Gulf states to join Saudi Arabia and sell discounted oil to China to replace Iranian oil. The US Administration also forced the Germany-based Siemens, one of Iran’s largest suppliers of equipment that can be used for non-conventional means, to sever its ties with Tehran as of summer 2010.
Meanwhile, the US secretary of state hinted that the Russians will also back the sanctions. Indeed, Russia’s top brass recently called off a visit by a very senior Iranian official; instead, Israel’s prime minister arrived in Moscow.
And so, the region is entering a new phase in the confrontation with Iran. We’re moving up a notch. Now, the Americans are sending the “kindergarten teachers” to Israel in order to maintain discipline.
