Report: The U.S. Pushed Israeli Plan

New Yorker's Hersh Reports U.S. Encouraged Israel's Strikes As Prelude To Iran

(CBS)  Months before Israel launched its fearsome barrage of air strikes, the plan to do so had already been fully fleshed out, the latest edition of the New Yorker charges.

Israeli military leaders had identified specific targets to bring down Hezbollah and were waiting only for an excuse to put the campaign in motion.

What's more, CBS News correspondent Joie Chen the idea had been nurtured by Vice President Cheney, according to investigative journalist and author Seymour Hersh.

"This White House was deeply involved with the Israeli plan, supported them, pushed them," Hersh said.

Today, Israel not only fiercely denied seeking a "green light" from the White House, but insisted it had no advance plan to strike — that it launched missiles solely in response to Hezbollah's provocative attacks.

"Had it not been for the shelling of Hezbollah over our population, had it not been for the kidnapping of our soldiers and killing of eight, we would not have taken any action," said Israeli Ambassador to the United States Daniel Ayalon.

Israel also denied another Hersh claim: That its military leaders began talking tactics with U.S. generals early this spring, developing a strategy that could be used not only by Israel against Hezbollah, but potentially by U.S. forces in a military campaign against Iran.

"Let Israel attack Hezbollah, we'll watch and see how it works, learn from it, and if we do decide to go to Iran, we can't go to Iran anyway as long as Hezbollah has rockets," Hersh said.

President Bush echoed the Israeli denial, calling the story "patently untrue."

And the White House quoted national security adviser Steven Hadley, who said: "The suggestion that the U.S. and Israel planned and coordinated an attack on Hezbollah — and did so as a prelude to an attack on Iran — is just flat wrong."

[clestes-2009]

Of course Bush planned this. Well actually Cheney did then made his puppet Bush do his bidding. Anyone who thinks Bush acts on his own is wrong. He has alway been Cheney lead. Who was it that decided to invade Iraq? Cheney. He has been behind every disasterous decision made involving the Middle East. Starting the war, no sending enough troops, using flawed intelligence as basis for going to war. I could go on and on, but won't.

And the sad fact is, he hasn't learned a thing. This coward, who asked for 5 deferments so he wouldn't go the Vietnam, knows nothing about war. But he sure knows a lot about oil. The only reason the Cheney admin are involved in the Middle East is oil. Not WMD, not "spreading freedom", not human rights. It has always been about Middle East oil and how to get their hands on it. Wake up America! Don't you know when you are being led by the nose??

clestes

[annmac38]

Seymour Hersh has reported on many important stories from the Mei Lai incident to the Abu Gahrib scandal and his facts have been supported by subsequent investigations and findings. I believe his story is factual and bears out the ongoing subterfuge and secrecy emitting from this White House on ALL subjects. When a President prevents our elected representatives from having enough information to vote on issues and then changes any laws they pass to suit him, he is undermining the democratic process and Bush is the strongest example of a dictator I have seen. I have no doubt that as distrubing as this story is, it is only the tip of things to be discovered
in this White House.

[bdefreitas-2009]

News that the US & Israel colluded to prepare a plan to attack Hezbollah should not be a surprise to anyone. Every state prepares a contingency plan of attack against it's enemy, let alone a Terrorist organization. What sets a contingency plan into motion is the attack of the enemy, in this case Hezbollah, and they foolhardedly attacked one of the most determined and focused nations on earth, with no thought about the consequences. Hezbollah and Lebanese is one and the same and was correctly regarded as such by Israel. A lesson for America on how to conduct an insurgency campaign.

[alext345]

I believe bush admin forgot science lesson. There is always thing will balance out. if america with mighty power try to annihilate muslim nations for jews to create greater israel then the smae idea of israel will be nullified. Karma people. It come back and bite us.

Every empire eroded because they get too cocky. America is getting cocky and try to manifest enemya nd elimnate them. What is next after muslims? Chinese? Asians? Mexicans? WIll it ever end?

If you all people really see , it is muslim religion that has close idea with judaism not christianity. Christianity is idol worship. It is banned in judaism and islam.

Once america is destroyed , jews will work with muslims. I know. It is all master plan.

America is getting duped.

[alext345]

It is funny that all jews in america calling israel as our friend. ***.

American jews are israeli spies.

I used to think israel is used as proxy for america to fight muslims in middle east. Now i changed my position. It is american jews who control america and use american interest as context and try to carve big land for themself in middle east.

I believe real evil is israel not jews though.

jews are good people when they work for their adopted country and not undermining their adopted country for israel.

I really think america should n't allow dual citizen for everyone especially for jews.

It is hight time that american people wake up to jews decit. They torture mel gibson for genuine opinion. You have to read jews bible Talmud and see what they say about Gentile,Goy. Yep that are names for non jews. It is like muslim calls non muslim as infidels. Muslism and jews are same. Bot h are evil people not gods chosen people. Jews are source of all wars. It is time to relocate israel to florida or montana. :)

[bellochap]

test

[jweymouth-2009]

If Bush got Israel to do this nasty job. Bravo. Good for him. Now we know their strengths weaknesses and tactics. We know how to fight them. And at a relatively low cost-100 lives. You will notice I do not count the Lebanese. They sided with Hizbollah, therefore they are our ENEMIES and do not count. Do liberals understand the concept of ENEMY. Hizbollah is our ENEMY. Iran is our ENEMY. Therefore we must kill them because there is no way we can peacefully coexist with them. They started the terrorist attacks against us in Lebanon, they are terrorists. Israel is our FRIEND. We have more in common with them in culture, religion, and politics. That is why Israel is our FRIEND. If liberals were honest they would admit that Islam - militant or otherwise is so foreign and so alien to our way of life (can you imagine feminism, pluralism, freedom of religion, freedom of speech in Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia?). They don't hate us because we support Israel, if we rejected Israel tomorrow, they would still hate us. They hate us because we are richer and more powerful than they are and we are not what they are, so it gnaws at them. They are desperate. The fact that they must rely on suicide bombing shows that they are being beaten. Look at Japan in World War 2 for this lesson. Terrorism and Suicide is a losers trick.

[jokerx2-2009]

One persons terrorist is another's freedom fighter. It just depends on one's life experiences. Why would anyone think that this administration would confirm that they were actively involved in this debacle. Seymour Hersh broke the stories on My Lai and Abu Ghraib so no one can assert that he has no credibility. Obviously, his sources, people currently and retired from government and in the know, are alarmed at the secrecy and criminal behavior of this Republican administration. They are the real patriots, not the right wing, fascist neocons that have taken control of our nation and labeled anyone who does not agree with their ideology as unpatriotic or worse. A free and open press is essential in getting at the truth and exposing the sinister, back door, self serving dealings of a few but nonetheless dangerous elected officials.

[alphaa10-2009]

Hezbollah is the terrorist response of Shia to the last Israeli invasion of Lebanon, a generation ago. Since then, Hezbollah clearly has grown, not diminished-- just as the influence of Iran has grown, not diminished.

The net result of the US-sponsored Lebanon invasion is a long-term reinforcement of Shia/Syrian/Iranian influence in Lebanon-- just the opposite of what we had hoped after the Syrians left earlier this year. And we have helped install a new wave of hatred for things Israeli and American-- it seems one Republican president cannot learn from another (Reagan, 1982, Bush, 2006).

Every Muslim in the world now knows Bush and Rice stood by and whistled "Give Peace a Chance" while cynically giving a green light to the Israeli plunder of Lebanon-- all to help nullify growing Iranian influence through Syria and Hezbollah. We cannot spend enough billions on a PR campaign to undo the damage from this latest bungled American attempt to have things our way in the region. And this is the Bush "war on terror"?

Although there is massive destruction in Lebanon, our gas pump purchases will fuel Iranian crude sales to fuel massive reconstruction of Shia areas-- with all the credit going to Syria and Iran, the very states you say are going under. This is not at all how the Bush neocons and Israelis planned the affair to end, and it will become more and more expensive for all concerned.

[apt26c]

Now that Mr. Hersh spills more beans on Israel invading Lebanon, it's adding to the middle-eastern people's hatred for the U.S. That's the unfortunate consequence of us playing with fire.

[getcentered]

This story falls in line with the rest of the publicly known Bush-Neocon policies.

Some people still think the world is flat, andf that one might actually walk to it's edge and fall off.

Use your mind, get centered.

[theimpaler69]

Hehe...Civil? Excessive force? Yes, the force used by Israel was 'excessive' and 'disproportianate'...this is also known as 'winning'. This is what to expect when you attack the US or Israel. You take out two of our buildings, we take out two of your countries. We are not trying to be 'civil' or to 'enlighten' anyone. We (and Israel) were attacked and responded. We will continue to do so. Deal with it.

[bob_bob2]

Na, don%u2019t believe that; Hersh is so far left that you%u2019d fall off the earth if you went further left.

Really wow where did you hear that?

Oh a guy I met on the internet his name was fartnocker2; he%u2019s a trusted source of information.

[fartnocker2]

Hersh is about as far left as you can be without falling off the earth .If everyone would take one step to the left he would fall off and be gone .

[jimmyd2596]

Seymour Hersh, secret agent or blowing smoke (again)?

[sardon2k5]

OF COURSE the Administration has discussed contingencies and planning. What do you think ALL governments do?

Did they "approve" as in give Israel the green-light for the current war in Lebanon? I don't think so, but I also don't think they're unhappy about it.

Hezbollah has been taking pot-shots at Israel for YEARS. This isn't an isolated incident. Tactically, Israel is attempting to prevent this stuff from continuing for another era. Will it work? I'm not convinced it will...but I'm also convinced they shouldn't sit idly by and get continually harrassed by a known terrorist network.

Finally...why shouldn't the U.S. or Israel consider contingencies on Iran, when the current Iranian President is staunchly in favor of "wiping Israel off the planet." Rockets wouldn't do that.......what's next?

[kiumars2008]

Has white house ever confirmed a plot like that? Let, me think! What do you think?
Can you think of any news that was uncovered latter to have been confirmed by white house at the time? I just remind you of a few here, Watergate, Iran-gate and the famous %u201CI did not have sexual relationship with that woman%u201D! I am sure you can think of many many other cases yourselves.

[grenyion03]

The response by Isreal to the kidnapping of 2 soldiers was excessive. The Fact that in this day and time we still have not learned the meaning of civility shows that we are not realy civilized people. History is full of examples of nations claiming to bring enlightenment to another but instead it brings nothing but horror. The use of might and power to control through fear and terror only work for a short time, but true respect for a people's way of life no matter how different from yours it may be is the only way to achieve lasting peace.

[brian5064]

This information should be no surprise to anyone. Who better to bungle military strategy than Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld? Israel sought advice from them and has completely mishandled the war with Hezbollah. Those who seek advice from the Bush Administration, follow it at their own peril.

[mikekleber]

I have no problem believing *** Cheney "nurtured the idea." *** Cheney has planned everything this administration has done to our country.