Gulf countries: No air space for Israel

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"The Arab League said three Arab Gulf countries have denied Israel use of their air space to strike Iran.

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mousa told reporters in Cairo the foreign ministers of Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates said there is no agreement allowing Israeli jets to use their air space to reach Iran.

His remarks came a day after Israel's Haaretz daily said Israel has received a green light from these three oil-rich states to pass through their air space to launch air strikes against Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility near the Arab Gulf region.

"These reports are either forged or fabricated," Mousa said, adding the foreign ministers of these countries have "officially authorized" him to relay this information.

"No Arab country could allow or give license to Israel to attack Iran," the head of the 22-member Arab League said."

http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/Gulf_countries_No_air_space_for_Israel/20070226-113547-4668r/

[Skink]

1. Gas prices due to rise on further middle east instability.

mission accomplished.

[oldtimecanuk]

2. Way to go gang... My hats off to ya... Shoot the bastards out of...

the sky if they venture into your airspace.

ww

[brentspeak]

5. You seem thrilled by this.

How come?

[oldtimecanuk]

7. Because I don't think the either the US or Israel should have..

carte blanch to just fly over Iran and bomb them at will! If these two countries are intent on starting a war with Iran, probably based on false information again, they should be made to pay for it... I am elated the other countries in the region are prepared to stand up to the bullies.... I hate bullies, and always have, and in fact probably several of my many fights in my time (fiscal) have been due to bullies picking on the little guy.... I won't stand by and put up with that!

ww

[oldtimecanuk]

8. Oh and in addition to that I am sick of sitting by and watching on...

my TV the body count both from Vietnam and now from Iraq.... It's about time someone stood up to the US and Israel and said, hey enough is enough already! The November election was about this, the American people in general feel the same as I go on this topic, but apparently some have missed the message. So, that is my ellation.... JUST SAY NO....

[The Stranger]

20. You seem suprised DUers oppose more war.

How come?

[tritsofme]

14. I very much doubt they could

Even if they wished to do so.

To your chagrin apparently.

[mazzarro]

16. And why not?

Will Israel have to fight them to fly over their airspace to get to Iran and back to Israel? What about them blowing the whistle on any illegal flyover of their airspace? What about them making a raucous in the UN about illegal overflight(s) by Israel?

[Nihil]

19. Timing? Distraction?

> Will Israel have to fight them to fly over their airspace to
> get to Iran and back to Israel?

Given that these states are not in any sort of direct path
between Israel and Iran, odds are that this whole thing is
just a distraction.

On the other hand, maybe they wanted to keep their options open
to provide backup escape plans for any planes scurrying away
from Iran after kicking the hornet's nest?

> What about them blowing the whistle on any illegal flyover of
> their airspace?

Timing is a beaut on this: by the time that the news that any
such overflight has happened actually reaches diplomatic level
then the planes involved are well beyond their borders and Israel
just goes "Who? Me?"

> What about them making a raucous in the UN about illegal
> overflight(s) by Israel?

Ha ha ha ha ... that will really make a difference! :rofl:

Quite apart from the fact that it is the illegal aggression against
a non-neighbouring country that is the BIG problem, the chance of
even getting a wrist-slap past the US veto is non-existent.
Hell, the way the UN works, Israel probably wouldn't even get a
meaningful wrist-slap for the actual bombing, murder and mayhem ...
just another "resolution" vetoed and added to the pile being
ignored every day.

[uppityperson]

3. this makes more sense than saying they could. What next? eom

[azurnoir]

4. Hopefully this is correct

What I find hard to believe is that Israel would open it self up to retaliation on the scale that Iran would use. In reality the Israeli's don't need permission, what they need is to not be shot at or a safer way in and out of Iran, if indeed there is any truth to rumors that a strike is planned. Hopefully it is all political posturing.

[Howardx]

6. the real question should be

did israel ask for clearance?

[azurnoir]

10. I doubt Israel did

But Cheney was in Oman last week, so he might have asked for clearance for the US and/or our "allies". After thinking about it I could see the Arab League saying yes privately and no publicly.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

9. too bad Iraqi's aren't in control of their own airspace...

or they would be able to deny them too. :(

[ohio2007]

11. So much for the trial balloon launched by Haartz

That saber rattling is not what those fiefdoms want.
They want calm seas between themselves and whats on the other side of the water.

[Zynx]

22. They also want calm in their own populations.

Being seen as "Zionist puppets" is not good for your health in that part of the world.

[IndianaGreen]

12. Were they asked to allow Israeli planes to fly over their airspace?

Israel wouldn't bother to ask any Arab country for permission to fly over their airspace, they just do it. The only country Israel may ask would be the US, and that's only to make sure our Air Force doesn't shoot the IAF flyboys when they fly across Iraq on their way to Iran.

[VegasWolf]

13. Is Israel on LSD? nt

[Cobalt-60]

15. Wishful thinking presented as established fact

Standard Republicon Procedure

[mazzarro]

17. Somethng is funny here

Why did the Foreign Ministers of these countries pass on the responsibility of making this announcement to the Arab League Secretary-General? Is this another way of winking their approval while at the same time attempting to deny it?

Though I find it somewhat strange that Israel will want to seek their approval to use their airspace when these countries are not anywhere in the direct paths from Israel to Iran to begin with. Unless they are being asked for more than overflight authorizations here.

[Thothmes]

18. No Air Space

Not sure that makes any difference to the Government of Israel. The did not have King Hussein's (sic) permission to overfly Jordan on their way to strike the Iraqi nuclear facilities.

[eagler]

21. If I recall Israel was being threaten with extinction at the time

they did the right thing at the time.

[happyslug]

23. Say one thing, do another.

No Arab country will say it gave permission to Israel for ANYTHING, but that does NOT mean such countries did give such permission. Remember these are DICTATORSHIPS whose power base in the local Sunni minority, while most of their subjects are Shiites. If this was NOT rejected by the Gulf States they people might revolt against them, but at the same time none of these Dictatorships will do anything to STOP an Israel strike.

Thus it is perfectly possible for Israel to have been given permission by these Countries, and when such permission came out for these countries to say they never did give such permission (While telling the Israeli Air Force that the Israeli Air Force still has permission to fly over their country on the way to Iran).