In other words, Israel can keep theirs

Q Is the President in favor of international inspection of Israel's nuclear arsenal, which is pretty well known?

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't know that I agree with that, the premise of your question. But the United States has a longstanding position of universal adherence to the treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. That has been our longstanding position --

Q They never signed it.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- and that is universal adherence. Well, we have urged all states that have not yet adhered to the treaty to do so, and to accept the IAEA safeguards on nuclear activities that would come with it.

Q Are we trying to persuade Israel to sign it, and to be open to inspection?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think that, one, in terms of specifics about the Israeli government, you need to refer those questions to the Israeli government.

Q No, no, I'm asking our position.

MR. McCLELLAN: And I've told you that the long held position of the United States is the universal adherence to the nonproliferation treaty.

Does that answer your question?

Press briefing 12/22

Q Okay, for other countries -- North Korea most notoriously -- you're entirely willing to say that's a proliferating country. As far as this administration is concerned, Pakistan right now is not a proliferator?

MR. McCLELLAN: And I just said that what President Musharraf had assured us, that that is not happening now. And that's important.

Q And we take his assurances as credible and real, and there is no proliferation that he is unaware of?

MR. McCLELLAN: He has assured us that that is not happening, that they're not involved in that kind of activity.

Q Okay, and then just one follow-up on Israel. Did you mean to say that the United States government has no assessment about whether or not Israel is a nuclear power?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think that -- what I said is what we've said previously, you should direct those questions to the Israeli government.

Q But doesn't the United States provide an assessment of the nuclear capabilities of all kinds of countries -- India, Pakistan, South Africa when they were --

MR. McCLELLAN: I think that the government of Israel has already stated publicly that they would not be the first nation in the region to have such weapons.

We'll take Musharraf's word for it. Apparently, he is not evil.

Israel - we don't know, you'll have to ask them. No, wait - they said they wouldn't be the first to have such weapons. WTF does that mean?

It means, Israel has nukes. It's okay with us.

But the others in the region may not possess them.

Period. End of discussion.

Just how deep does American interest in Israel go? Do they "control" us, as Sharon has suggested?

Check this out: Johnson's conduct toward Israel approached treason