De Israelische Terreur 388

'Pledging allegiance to AIPAC

Khody Akhavi,

The Electronic Intifada,

WASHINGTON, 9 June (IPS) - With the Iranian nuclear "threat" in the crosshairs, discussion of Palestinians or a Syrian-Israeli detente was virtually non-existent. But then again, one should not expect many overtures for peace when attending the annual policy conference for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).As more than 5,000 Jewish-American activists ascended Capitol Hill last week, the most common word circulating through panel discussions, daily briefings, and remarks made by high-level officials and presidential candidates was "security" -- more accurately, Israel's security.And most of the tough talk, whether substantive or merely stylistic, was directed at a nuclear Iran and its presumed proxies -- Lebanese Hizballah, Palestinian Hamas, and even Syria.The policy prescriptions, outlined in a draft proposal of AIPAC's policy agenda, urge, among other things, that the US "take all appropriate measures to halt Iran's pursuit of nuclear and 152 other weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them."The language remains unsettling for many Democrats and war-weary US citizens, who view it as a license for the President George W. Bush administration to launch a military attack on Iran.While pre-emptive missile strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities may seem unappealing -- indeed, AIPAC's talking points omit the discomforting mention of military force -- the safer bet has been placed on sanctions, an endorsement of already existing efforts to isolate Iran economically.'

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