Olmert Blunders Again and Nuclear Ambiguity Goes Out the Window

Israel's common sense challanged Prime Minester has proven once again that he is over his head. In an interview with German TV, Omert became the first PM to move away from Israel's long held position of Nuclear Ambiguity, that is, Israel has never admitted or denied that it has Nuclear weapons. Today Olmert said, yes indeed Israel has "the bomb"

"Can you say that this is the same level, when they are aspiring to have nuclear weapons, as America, France, Israel and Russia?" he said, adding that those countries had nuclear weapons but they did not threaten any one with it.

The prime minister said that the difference was that those countries were "cultured nations" who did not threaten the world's principles with nuclear destruction. (JPost 12/11)

Making matters worse, this wasn't a planned disclosure. Olmert blurted out the news because he was "pissed off"

The prime minister became enraged when he was asked if the fact that Israel possessed nuclear power weakened the West's position against Iran.

"Israel is a democracy and does not threaten anyone," he exclaimed. The only thing we have tried to do is to live without (threats of) terror, but we have never threatened anyone with annihilation. Iran explicitly, openly and publicly threatens to wipe Israel off the map."

For years it was assumed that Israel had the bomb, but the policy of ambiguity kept the issue from becoming a "negotiating point" With Olmert's blunder how soon will it be before there are UN sanctions against Israel for its nuclear weapons program.

This policy proved successful in preventing the kind of international pressure to disarm that might have been caused by an open admission to having the bomb, but it's not very useful when confronted with an enemy freely using nuclear information and disinformation to suit its interest of the moment.

What we have here is another reason why Olmert has got to go. He is a horrible leader, he has no backbone, he has unnecessarily put IDF solders in harm's way, and now he blurts out state secrets. He is so far over his head words cannot even come close to describing it. But one thing is for sure, Israel needs a change of leadership and she needs it now!

UPDATE: As you would expect now that the cat is out of the bag Israel is trying to get it back in. Reuters reported:

Olmert's spokeswoman, Miri Eisen, who accompanied the prime minister on a trip to Germany on Monday, said he did not mean to say that Israel possessed or aspired to acquire nuclear weapons.

"No he wasn't saying anything like that," she said.

Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mark Regev said Olmert had meant to categorize the four nations as democracies to set them apart from Iran, and was not referring to their potential nuclear capabilities or aspirations.

Unfortunately it is probably too late for that.