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US denies leaking info on Israeli access to Azeri airbases
 White House source tells Ynet DC had nothing to do with leaking information alleging Baku granted IAF access to its airbases in case of strike on Iran
A top White House official denied Saturday that the US Administration was responsible for leaking information, alleging that Israel has secured access to airfields in Azerbaijan ahead of a possible strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, to the press.
On Thursday, Foreign Policy Magazine reported that Baku had granted Jerusalem permission to use four abandoned, Soviet-era airbases, where IAF fighter jets could refuel in case of a strike against the Islamic Theocratic Republic .
The sources said that the White House had "no interest" in leaks of this kind, adding that the administration would "gladly prosecute" the people behind it -- if they knew who they were.
| There is the outlet that originally published the report...Foreign Policy Magazine, I b'lieve it was... |
Israel, as well as pro-Israel elements in the United States, blamed the White House for the leak, but according to the official, the US is "crawling with thousands of intelligence and former intelligence officials," and the White House has no way of stopping them from offering information to the media as anonymous sources.
| The White House could refuse to accept the publishing outlet's journalists in the White House pool, to be sure, but actually punishing the perpetrator seems to be going a bit far, what? |
The official stressed that it was wrong to claim that there was a concentrated media effort within the administration against Israel.
| "They're just doing what comes naturally. They can't be blamed for that." |
qJerusalem and Washington, he added, are making "tremendous efforts" on Iran and are working more closely than ever. "Leaks on strategic matters are never good," he said.
| Except when they are, of course, though opinions may differ on specific items. Aren't glittering generalities fun! |
The white house stressed that US President Barack Obama's
B.O. ...
stance on Iran has been made clear in his interview with Atlantic Magazine and his AIPAC address, in which he made clear that as far as the US was concerned, a "nuclear Iran is not an option."
| Our beloved president did indeed say a great many things on those two occasions. And other things on other occasions. The Memory Hole isn't what it used to be, what with Google Cache and all. |
Posted by: trailing wife 2012-04-01 |
