A Quick Quiz
About which of the following crises was Secretary of State Madeleine Albright most exercised last week?
- China’s proliferation of chemical, nuclear and ballistic missile technology, including to Iran and Syria
- Russian proliferation of nuclear and ballistic missile technology to Iran
- The nuclearization of the Indian subcontinent
- Syrian testing of VX nerve gas and weaponization of Sarin
- Iraq’s demonstrated ability to create VX munitions and unwillingness to cooperate with UNSCOM inspectors
- Iranian progress in nuclear and ballistic missile acquisition
- North Korea’s
About which of the following crises was Secretary of State Madeleine Albright most exercised last week?- China’s proliferation of chemical, nuclear and ballistic missile technology, including to Iran and Syria
- Russian proliferation of nuclear and ballistic missile technology to Iran
- The nuclearization of the Indian subcontinent
- Syrian testing of VX nerve gas and weaponization of Sarin
- Iraq’s demonstrated ability to create VX munitions and unwillingness to cooperate with UNSCOM inspectors
- Iranian progress in nuclear and ballistic missile acquisition
- North Korea’s latest attempt to infiltrate South Korea
- Nelson Mandela’s $300 million deal to sell chemical and bacteriological weapons to Libya
- Attorney General Reno’s admission that, despite Saudi statements to the contrary, responsibility for the Khobar Towers bombing that killed 19 American servicemen has not been determined
- Palestinians celebrating Iran’s soccer victory over the US by burning an American flag in the streets of Ramallah
- Sheikh Yassin’s return to Gaza with millions of dollars and an unrelentingly hostile agenda
Whichever you picked, you were wrong. Mrs. Albright was “shreiing” (complaining) about water pipes in Jerusalem and the demolition of two illegally built Arab houses. “Extremely provocative” she called Israel’s decision to extend the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem TO THE WEST for the purposes of municipal functions, and plan for the future distribution of water and electricity to settlements on the east. “Extremely provocative,” for those who are not in the loop, is an extremely harsh diplomatic phrase.
In September 1996, the second gate to the Western Wall tunnel was opened at midnight and the Israeli government was excoriated by the Administration for making a municipal decision in secret. So this time the government reported its decision publicly.
Either this administration has totally lost its sense of proportion, or it has embarked on a calculated campaign to beat Israel into submission on crucial security issues by harassing the government over every internal, administrative decision it makes. Either way, the Clinton administration’s foreign policy priorities would be laughable if that list at the top of the page wasn’t real.