Renowned linguist and political analyst Noam Chomsky[/caption]Renowned linguist and political analyst Noam Chomsky appeared on Democracy Now to discuss Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus polarizing trip to the United States and his speech before Congress on Tuesday. Below are some of the highlights of Chomskys interview, ahead of Tuesdays address.
According toChomsky, the main goal ofNetanyahus visit is totorpedo President Barack Obamas ongoing talks withIran.
For both Prime Minister Netanyahu and the hawks inCongress, mostly Republican, the primary goal is toundermine any potential negotiation that might settle whatever issue there is withIran. They [Netanyahu and the GOP] have a common interest inensuring that there is no regional force that can serve asany kind ofdeterrent toIsraeli and US violence the major violence inthe region.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner invited Netanyahu withoutconsulting the White House, just the latest ina long line ofGOP snubs tothe president, Chomsky said.
For the Republicans inCongress, theres another interest, namely: toundermine anything that Obama you know, the antichrist might try todo.
Chomsky said if Iran is developing nuclear weapons, it is solely todeter an attack fromanother nation, and they would never actually launch them.
According toU.S. intelligence, their strategic doctrine is totry toprevent an attack, upto the point where diplomacy can set in. I dont think anyone witha grey cell functioning thinks that they would ever conceivably use a nuclear weapon, or even try to. The country would be obliterated in15 seconds. But they might provide a deterrent ofsorts. And the US and Israel certainly dont want totolerate that.
Chomsky also dismissed Netanyahus warnings that Iran is planning a new Holocaust againstIsrael.
US satellite surveillance knows everything thats going onin Iran. If Iran even began toload a missile that is, tobring a missile neara weapon the country would probably be wiped out. Whatever you think aboutthe clerics and the Guardian Council, theres no indication that theyre suicidal.
Then Chomsky called Israel an audacious hypocrite.
The striking aspect ofthis is the chutzpah involved. Israel has had nuclear weapons forprobably 50 years or 40 years. They have, estimates are, maybe 100 or 200 nuclear weapons. They are an aggressive state. Israel has invaded Lebanon five times. Its carrying outan illegal occupation that carries outbrutal attacks likeGaza last summer. And they have nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu is seeking toprevent Iran fromacquiring such weapons because he doesnt want tohave a deterrent inthe region. Thats simple enough. If youre an aggressive, violent state, you want tobe able touse force freely. You dont want anything that might impede it.
By Sputnik News
