Israel shakes down China

[ensho]

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/imperium/2010/06/10/israel-shakes-down-china


The New York Times revealed yesterday why the Chinese changed their mind about yet another UN Security Council resolution that imposes new sanctions against Iran.

The resolution passed with 12 votes in favour, two against and one abstention is the fourth of its kind.

Like the Brazilians and the Turks, the Chinese leaned towards diplomacy and doubted the efficacy of another round of sanctions.

Along with Russia, China opposed tougher sanctions that would hurt Iranians and push Tehran into a corner.

Analysts believe Beijing and Moscow came on board after direct intervention by Barack Obama, the US president, and a pledge to water down the resolution and possibly other concessions some of which might be kept secret for long.

-snip-

But in a rather humiliating revelation, the Israelis tried on the day of the vote to set the record straight by speaking to the US "paper of the record" about their meeting with the Chinese.

Veiled threat

According to The New York Times, "In February, a high-level Israeli delegation travelled to Beijing to present classified evidence of Iran’s atomic ambitions.

Then they unveiled the ostensible purpose of their visit: to explain in sobering detail the economic impact to China from an Israeli strike on Iran — an attack Israel has suggested is all but inevitable should the international community fail to stop Iran from assembling a nuclear weapon.

“The Chinese didn’t seem too surprised by the evidence we showed them, but they really sat up in their chairs when we described what a pre-emptive attack would do to the region and on oil supplies they have come to depend on ...”

To add insult to injury, the Israeli official who chose to reveal this nugget asked the paper for anonymity so as not to upset his Chinese counterparts!

In fact, the Israelis do not want to hide their chutzpah.

The official who was permitted to speak to the press seems proud of Israel's audacity to shake down Beijing when the rest of the world is trying to gain China's favour as one of the of the world's two superpowers.

-long snip-

So I ask: Would Israel dare shake down China without a green light from Washington? Or, has the US used Israel as an attack dog against those unwilling to support more sanctions against Iran?

Or has the US done everything to pass a UNSC resolution to avoid a potential Israeli military strike against Iran...?
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what a mess

[theoldman]

1. I am sure that the US would use Israel as an attack dog.

I am not so sure that Israel could shake down China. There is no love lost between the Chinese and Muslins but the Chinese don't like the Israelis either. The days of shaking down China are over. I am sure that China would unite with the US in telling Israel that attacking Iran is a very bad idea.

[madrchsod]

2. china relies on iran`s natural gas supply

iran does`t increase or decrease the bpm rate. yes china and the usa would`t be happy with an attack on iran.

[Tempest]

3. The world economy would collapse from an attack on Iran

97% of the world's oil flows through the Straits of Hormuz and Iran has put surface to surface missile launchers along the route. They have threatened to sink oil tankers and block off the straits to traffic if they are attacked.

[Prometheus Bound]

5. Where did you get such a number: "97% of the world's oil flows through the Straits of Hormuz"?

[Ozymanithrax]

4. There is another possibility here.

Israel, recognizing that the days of American Superpowerdom may be coming to an end, a Post-America point of view, are looking for a new partner. They will need something to counter Turkey's move to a Neo-Ottoman state in the middle east.

[Chulanowa]

6. So basically...

Israel threatened to massacre lots of Iranians and disrupt the flow of petroleum through the Straits of Hormuz, to "win the Chinese over"

What charming people, those Israeli diplomats.

Israel was a kingdom. China is a civilization. I don't think the Israelis quite know what they're stepping into with this one.