Obama aide dodges Syrian ambassador on Israeli nukes and Medea Benjamin on ’special relationship’

[Ognir]

As we noted, Ass't Sec'y of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro appeared at Saban Center on Friday (on C-Span). And if you go to minute 46, not long after Shapiro is going on about a nuclear Iran, you will see Syrian Ambassador to the U.S., Imad Moustapha, confront Shapiro on two important issues: U.S. hypocrisy about Israel's nuclear weapons, and the use by Israel of American weapons to kill civilians in Palestine.

"I'm always puzzled," Moustapha says. Why is it, whenever an American official talks about the Israeli military advantage, "they will always, always, never, never discuss the Israeli nuclear arsenal, which actually exists, and we don't know why? Everyone in the world knows [Israel has a huge nuclear arsenal]..."

Shapiro, nervous laughter: "I'm not going to be the first US official to discuss you know, uh, Israeli um, um, nuclear--"

Moustapha: "Nuclear capacity"

Shapiro: "That's your words.

But on the second point, I would say that when we sell weapons to any country, we require end-use assurances that they will be used properly, and we take seriously any suggestion that they haven't been used properly, and we investigate and take action. I'll just leave it at that."

Yes, and what about the Goldstone report?

Right after Moustapha, Medea Benjamin of Code Pink rises and challenges Shapiro to go to Gaza.

"It pains me to hear you sound more like an agent of the Israeli government than a U.S. representative, because as you travel around the world, you see that his quote special relationship really endangers us, makes us more hated around the world, so I wonder if you would be willing to step in other shoes... You don't have to like [Hamas] to talk to them... " Shouldn't you go see what life is like for Palestinians? And in these times of economic crisis and impoverished nations, she says, can't you think of a better use of the $3 billion we give to wealthy Israel?

Shapiro: "I will say just a quick response, the US.... has been committed to a peace process between Israelis and Palestinians that will lead to a two-state solution."

Benjamin: "Will you go to Gaza was the question."

Martin Indyk: "Thanks you had your question."

Benjamin: "He didn't answer."

Update:

Paul Woodward reports:

I've done a post on this Shapiro speech (it goes up tomorrow morning). And I noticed that the Brookings "full audio" removed the bit where Medea Benjamin asks "Will you go to Gaza was the question" and moves straight to the next questioner. The Brookings audio can be downloaded here:
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2010/07 ... urity.aspx
It's 1.2.33 (C-Span 1.3.46).
Brookings also removed the applause after Benjamin spoke.

http://mondoweiss.net/2010/07/obama-aid ... l#comments

From CSpan
http://c-span.org/Watch/Media/2010/07/1 ... nship.aspx