- Note - What about the 'pretty subversive' effects on
traditional US culture, our children and moral values? Funny how no one
brought that up with Mr. Netanyahu.
-
- And three cheers for Rep. Kucinich, who clearly sees
the writing on the wall:
-
- But Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich was not as supportive
of Netanyahu's calls for war. In a terse exchange that occurred before
the former prime minister laid out his "Iran Strategy," Kucinich
asked him for additional suggestions for places to invade.
-
- "While you're here, Mr. Prime Minister, are there
any other countries besides Iraq that you would suggest that we invade?"
he asked.
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-
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- WASHINGTON (UPI) -- A former
Israeli prime minister Thursday called upon the United States to effect
regime change in both Iraq and Iran, prescribing a military invasion to
topple the government in Baghdad and the transmission of ribald television
programming via satellite into Persia, where he said the influx of pop
culture would prove "subversive" to the conservative Islamic
regime.
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- Citing the hundreds of thousands of satellite television
dishes in Iran, Benjamin Netanyahu told the House Government Reform Committee
that the United States could incite a revolution against the conservative
Iranian clergy through the use of such Fox Broadcasting staples as "Melrose
Place" and "Beverly Hills 90210" -- both of which feature
beautiful young people in varying states of undress, living, glamorous,
materialistic lives and engaging in promiscuous sex.
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- "This is pretty subversive stuff," Netanyahu
told the committee. "The kids of Iran would want the nice clothes
they see on those shows. They would want the swimming pools and fancy lifestyles."
-
- But the more pressing issue to Netanyahu is Iran's neighbor,
Iraq, which he said was dangerously close to developing weapons of mass
destruction -- and would not be susceptible to subversion.
-
- "We understand a nuclear armed Saddam places Israel
at risk," he said. "But a nuclear armed Saddam also puts the
entire world at risk."
-
- "After Saddam gets a nuclear weapon, it is only
a matter of time before the terror networks get nuclear weapons,' Netanyahu
warned. "And they will use them if they get them."
-
- Netanyahu said that the 1981 attack by Israel on an Iraqi
nuclear facility was justified and implied that it's success hinged on
just the kind of unilateralism that President George W. Bush's Thursday
speech to the United Nations appears to abjure.
-
- "Did Israel launch this pre-emptive strike with
the coordination of the international community?" Netanyahu asked.
"Did we condition such a strike on the approval of the United Nations?
Of course not."
-
- Burton's statements reflected more respect for the administration's
coalition building efforts than Netanyahu's, but he did note that in the
face of failing to develop such support for an invasion, he too supported
a unilateral attack.
-
- "This morning the president made a strong case for
taking action. Now we need to see how the world responds," Burton
noted. "I hope that our friends and allies around the world will join
us. I hope that we can assemble a strong coalition that will stand up to
this dangerous regime. However, if we can't, my view is that we have to
do what's in our own best interest. If we determine that Saddam Hussein
is a serious national security threat, then we have to act -- alone if
necessary."
-
- Netanyahu's rhetoric, at least the military invasion
portion of his testimony, found a warm reception from committee Chairman
Dan Burton, R-Ind., who said that finishing the war on terror with the
occupation of Afghanistan without attacking Iraq would leave the job half
done.
-
- "One of the unfinished pieces of business we have
is Iraq," Burton said. "In my opinion, this is a problem we can't
continue to ignore. Saddam Hussein is a menace. He has chemical weapons.
He has biological weapons. He's working hard to acquire nuclear weapons.
He's used chemical weapons in the past. We should have no doubt that he'll
use them again. And if he succeeds in developing nuclear weapons, we could
have a catastrophe on our hands."
-
- But Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich was not as supportive
of Netanyahu's calls for war. In a terse exchange that occurred before
the former prime minister laid out his "Iran Strategy," Kucinich
asked him for additional suggestions for places to invade.
-
- "While you're here, Mr. Prime Minister, are there
any other countries besides Iraq that you would suggest that we invade?"
he asked.
-
- Copyright © 2002 United Press International
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