A great arrogance revealed to all.

 

In my experience of them, the Israeli government and in particular the IDF liked to give briefings using cartoons as graphics.  These comic strips were more or less in the "Mad Magazine" tradition.  Look it up.  The most serious subjects were discussed this way, often in international meetings.  When I first was exposed to this habit I thought it droll, but as I came to see that this practice would be never ending, I began first to be offended and then analytic about the matter.  I protested but they continued to do it.  Israelis seem to see the rest of the world as "under instruction" and people other than themselves as needing some sort of systematic "support" if comprehension is to be achieved.

In that context, Bibi's condescending use of a primitive cartoon as an instructional "crutch" was not a surprise for me.  IMO he thinks of us all as childlike and needing a clear focus for our attention and limited cognitive powers.  It is for this reason that he endlessly, obnoxiously, lectures all who fall into his "grip" for a few minutes.  Since BHO is a bit of a lecturer himself, it is not surprising that sparks have flown between them.

As Brigadier FB Ali wrote yesterday, the speech itslf was a surprising muddle.  It was difficult to know what it was that Bibi wanted from this lecture other than a chance to sneer.  He said that Iranian progress toward uranium enrichment must be halted before it reached what he said was the "second stage" of enrichment.  He then drew his magic marker line at the 90% level on his cartoon bomb.  If I recall correctly 90% is the level of enrichment needed for a fission bomb.  What was he trying to communicate?

He said that the IAEA supports his assertions that the Iranians are proceeding toward the second level of enrichment.  This he sometimes said was 70% (labeled 1st Stage) and at other times 90%. (the red line)  In fact, the IAEA in its August 2012 report on Iran finds nothing to be diverted from inspection and nothing enriched beyond 20% .

http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/Board/2012/gov2012-37.pdf

At some points in his "chalk talk" he referred to production and enrichment at facilities of which "our wonderful intelligence services" as yet know nothing.  He "generously" seemed to include the USIC in this description.  I suppose he felt that he should since his own services are so dependent on the USIC.  Nevertheless, if we know nothing about these facilities, then how can we include their unknown production in our estimates?

It was suggested to me today that he looked and sounded deranged.  Jon Stewart said last night that the cartoon was absurd and that if the Israelis want to know what an atom bomb looks like they should go down in their "basement" and look at one.  pl

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=2012+netanyahu+speech+video+at+un&view=detail&mid=3DFF2A754C513F0985E83DFF2A754C513F0985E8&first=0

 

Comments

[John Minnerath]

He would be pathetically funny if he weren't so maliciously serious.

[The Moar You Know]

Ahhh, Spy Vs. Spy. One of my childhood favorites, even though "Mad" was well on its way out by then.

The subject at hand: that presentation of Bibi's was beyond insulting and perhaps more deranged than anything Ahmadinejad's ever said to the body. May I suggest a modest solution: that they both be tossed from the UN until they can learn to behave and speak in a civilized and respectful manner to the rest of us?

[oofda]

Actually, he looked like he was explaining why Wile E. Coyote's bombs did not work as advertised by ACME. Indeed, he was confusing in his discussing the levels of enrichment. The title of this entry "A great arrogance revealed to all" tells it all.

[The beaver]

This was the last hurray for Ahmedinejad - there are elections coming in Iran.

[SAC Brat]

Funny you should mention it... http://modonjon.blogspot.com/2012/09/netanyahu-solicits-wile-e-coyote-to.html

Has a nice picture of the two Su-u-uper Geniuses together at the UN.

[William]

Unfortunately, while the main link seems inoperative, one gets a sense of the sendups of Da Bomb that are out there on the net:

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/09/wile-e-netanyahu-ctd.html

[Frabjous]

TMYK - “May I suggest a modest solution: that they both be tossed from the UN until they can learn to behave and speak in a civilized and respectful manner to the rest of us?“

Here, here! Except, were that criteria applied universally, then the UN would be a ghost town. Oh, wait...

[Matthew]

Too bad no one referenced this counter-graphic. See http://azizonomics.com/2012/09/28/netanyahus-red-line/ (Second graphic).

[William]

Unfortunately, the main link for these seems broken, but one gets a sense of the memes drawn up in response to Da Bomb that are out there on the Net:

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/09/wile-e-netanyahu-ctd.html

[rjj]

"....as advertised by ACME"

Love it. Got Photoshop?

[E L]

The one point worth noting for me in the Bibi lecture was his lean toward Obama. We will not face an election surprise from Bibi. That's better than nothing.

[r whitman]

Please note the New Yorker cartoon caption on this subject:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/cartoonists/2012/09/netanyahu-caption-contest.html

[JustPlainDave]

Near as I can tell the references to 70% and 90% refer to the percentage of total Separative Work Units required to enrich from natural uranium to weapons grade. The 70% doesn't track that closely to the specifics of Iranian LEU enrichment (IIRC it's generally been to about 3.5%) though clearly from the context that's what he was talking about, but the 90% does track well with the SWUs required to get to HEU from their 19.75% level of enrichment.

[turcopolier]

justplaindave

I know you want to defend this certifiable jerk, but he made it clear that he was talking about enrichment. pl

[The beaver]

"It was suggested to me today that he looked and sounded deranged."

Having been brought up and lived in an African country, the word over there would be "possessed" by something to do evil things. Just his empty (or fixed) stare on two different occasions seem to me that this man is living, eating and sleeping to rage war with Iran (or to ensure that only Israel is the bully in that region), no matter what. Earlier in his political life, he was driven to get even with the Palestinians for the death of his brother and now he is on another course - to prove to the world that 'the Israelis are the chosen people' and the world better remember it.

[Walrus]

Cartoons can have very high recall rates, so can very simple memes like "crossing the red line" and "homeland". While we may sneer at bibis apparent crudity, the cartoon bomb and the attached meme "crossing the red line" will now be taken up by every Hasbara and the commentariat and shoved down the throats of Americans less discerning than your good selves. It is a very sellable and simple concept: we destroy Iran not because they have a nuclear device and a workable delivery system, but because they have crossed a red line - a meaningless nominative.

"what will we do when Iran crosses the red line?" Fox News will solemnly ask. "how close is Iran to the red line?" Andrea Mitchell will ask. "how fast is Iran heading to the red line?" Goldberg will opine. Semantics matter, especially to Jews!

My own very limited understanding is that Bibi has a few weeks to do his business or get off the pot. Is this correct?

[turcopolier]

walrus

There are two ways to see his "show." 1- a highly conplex ruse designed to achieve surprise before the election. IMO that is unlikely because the political damage to Israel across he world is prohibitive. On the other hand there is Bibi's increasing "presentation" of madness. 2- he caved. I vote for # 2. pl

[The beaver]

Colonel

Do you remember his latest act back in May?

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/aluf-benn-booby-trap-between-natanz-and-auschwitz-1.416913

He keeps crying "wolf" at each and every opportunity but it is all talk but no action. He was using Holocaust then but now it is cartoon bomb.

[CTuttle]

The Israelis had a field day with Bibi's buffoonery...

Bibi's ACME bomb at UNGA inspires Israeli meme artists

http://972mag.com/bibis-acme-bomb-at-unga-inspires-israeli-meme-artists/56636/

[Jose]

You beat me to it, beep beep!

[Jose]

Watch Fox tonight, probably will use the Bibi bomb with the Holocaust to their shame.

[JustPlainDave]

Sorry, but I don't believe that I am wrong on this. He speaks of Iran having to go through thee stages to produce a weapon - the first enriching LEU, the second enriching MEU and the third producing HEU. The Iranian stores of 3.5% UF6 are clearly LEU and their stores of 19.75% almost make it to MEU (I believe the cutoff is usually 20% though the MEU designation seems not to be that commonly used and I have seem some variation). When I run things through one of the online SWU calculators, that 19.75% material is about 90% of the way there.

As to defending the guy, far from it. I'm highlighting that this guy's selling the terribly simplistic notion that enough stockpiled material effectively equals a meaningful capability requiring military action. My world, that's just a more data-rich way of calling him a certifiable jerk. I dislike the guy not just personally, or because he's significantly distorted my nation's policies and made the jobs of friends of mine much harder, but also with the visceral dislike an analysis guy has for all the generalist, doctrinaire, low knowledge, low time on the file, certain their received wisdom trumps actual expertise, political echelon "decision-makers" just like him.

[turcopolier]

justplaindave

Ok. You are Israeli? We need a few here. pl

[Will]

i think his brain trust wanted hit to talk about effort, i.e. separable work units, but he was unequal to the task. With all the talk about enrichment, it would have been difficult to switch tracks.

Obamer handled him just right: NOISE.

[JustPlainDave]

Sorry, no - Canadian, but I spent a lot of time on the Arab side of things and have friends at DFAIT and DND that have also worked "in area".