We believe that the average reader of the Intemountain Jewish News knows more about aspects of America’s defense policy than Chuck Hagel, nominated to be American’s next Secretary of Defense.
At his confirmation hearings, Hagel said that he would sustain President Obama’s commitment to containing a nuclear Iran.
As we all know, Obama does not have a policy of containment against a nuclear Iran. Obama’s policy is to prevent a nuclear Iran, not to contain one. A vast difference. Hagel, however, was clueless. An (embarrassed?) aide handed him a note, whereupon Hagel corrected himself. Even a major supporter of Hagel’s nomination, the Democratic Senator from Michigan, and the chair of the committee, found it necessary to correct Hagel.
We’ve heard of death-bed conversions. Now we have confirmation-hearing conversions. Suddenly, Chuck Hagel is pro-Israel. Suddenly, he’s for not allowing Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon capacity. Suddenly, he has no problem with the “Jewish lobby”; he misspoke, he meant the “pro-Israel lobby.” And he didn’t find the lobby “intimidating”; he misspoke again. Chuck Hagel, judging by his confirmation hearing, is a disaster for Israel and for world peace.
Remember the presidential debate? Both Obama and Romney called a nuclear Iran a threat to America’s national security. Apparently, Hagel wasn’t listening.
Copyright © 2013 by the Intermountain Jewish News
