With U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney currently in Bahrain, and scheduled to arrive in Israel tomorrow, Arutz-7\'s Ariel Kahane took the opportunity to speak to Yoram Ettinger, Israel\'s former liaison to the U.S. Congress. \"Yesterday,\" Kahane said, \"the Saudi Arabians told Cheney that they would not let the U.S. stationing troops on their soil for an attack against Iraq - and they\'re not alone [among the Arabs]. Has Cheney in fact failed in his mission to garner Arab support for the attack?\" Ettinger responded:
\"Not at all. Cheney did not come to ask for help, but rather to inform the Arab countries what the U.S. is about to do. The Bush Administration believes in unilateral actions. Cheney never expected much from Saudi or the other Arab nations, and in any event, the Americans plan to deliver a heavy strike against Iraq...\"
Q. \"What will Cheney tell Prime Minister Sharon tomorrow about this?\"
Ettinger: \"What\'s more important is to know the context in which Cheney is acting. He is the strongest Vice President in US history, the overall commander of foreign policy and defense. He was the first one, in 1991, to publicly thank Israel for smashing the nuclear reactor in Iraq, despite Secretary Baker and Bush-the-father. He has consistently been in favor of the destruction of Saddam Hussein\'s and Taliban terrorist infrastructures, and against the conception of New Middle East. We must not confuse what he says in public and how he truly views the situation. I can tell you that he rubs his eyes in disbelief at Israel\'s lack of strong response against the terrorists. It is enough to recall the strong remarks Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer irresponsibly quoted Cheney as saying against Arafat… Reagan, who was considered the most pro-Israel President until George W. Bush, when he was upset at Israel, punished us; Clinton threatened and twisted our arms - but this administration merely asks us not to take certain steps, and doesn\'t use any threatening language... It is important to understand them not according to what they say, but according to their world outlook.\"
Q. \"Are you saying that Israel need not have pulled back from the PA areas and stopped its anti-terrorist offensives?
A. \"I\'ll say more than that, albeit very cautiously: If in fact our collapse and withdrawals of the last few days are the result of the perception of blatant American pressure, then this... harmed Israel\'s image in American eyes - for the U.S. wants allies who are strong and have backbone, as Israel was until the times of [former Prime Minister] Yitzchak Shamir, and not those who are spineless punching bags of Hizbullah, Egypt, the PLO or even Washington, and can\'t be counted on when the going gets rough.\"
\"Not at all. Cheney did not come to ask for help, but rather to inform the Arab countries what the U.S. is about to do. The Bush Administration believes in unilateral actions. Cheney never expected much from Saudi or the other Arab nations, and in any event, the Americans plan to deliver a heavy strike against Iraq...\"
Q. \"What will Cheney tell Prime Minister Sharon tomorrow about this?\"
Ettinger: \"What\'s more important is to know the context in which Cheney is acting. He is the strongest Vice President in US history, the overall commander of foreign policy and defense. He was the first one, in 1991, to publicly thank Israel for smashing the nuclear reactor in Iraq, despite Secretary Baker and Bush-the-father. He has consistently been in favor of the destruction of Saddam Hussein\'s and Taliban terrorist infrastructures, and against the conception of New Middle East. We must not confuse what he says in public and how he truly views the situation. I can tell you that he rubs his eyes in disbelief at Israel\'s lack of strong response against the terrorists. It is enough to recall the strong remarks Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer irresponsibly quoted Cheney as saying against Arafat… Reagan, who was considered the most pro-Israel President until George W. Bush, when he was upset at Israel, punished us; Clinton threatened and twisted our arms - but this administration merely asks us not to take certain steps, and doesn\'t use any threatening language... It is important to understand them not according to what they say, but according to their world outlook.\"
Q. \"Are you saying that Israel need not have pulled back from the PA areas and stopped its anti-terrorist offensives?
A. \"I\'ll say more than that, albeit very cautiously: If in fact our collapse and withdrawals of the last few days are the result of the perception of blatant American pressure, then this... harmed Israel\'s image in American eyes - for the U.S. wants allies who are strong and have backbone, as Israel was until the times of [former Prime Minister] Yitzchak Shamir, and not those who are spineless punching bags of Hizbullah, Egypt, the PLO or even Washington, and can\'t be counted on when the going gets rough.\"