The description of Israeli-American involvement in Georgia's military affairs was alluded to marginally in single-sentence references on inside pages of Washington and New York newspapers. Mr. de Borchgrave provides a compelling picture of Israel's part in the Russia-Georgia conflict. Israel supplied weapons and military training. The Bush administration supplied the money for Georgia to buy the weapons along with troops and training. Georgia's freedom and democracy was used as a front for Israel to establish an air base from which Israel could attack Iran. Israeli strategy relied on American military support in the event of a showdown. It all might have worked if American troops were not badly overextended in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a world that competes minute to minute for access to oil supplies, Russia holds a trump card. Alliances are shaped by that access. American arms and money no longer assure success for Israeli risk-taking. It failed in 2006 when Israel invaded Lebanon, and this latest effort in Georgia reveals a need for Israel to rethink its master plan for security and peace.

While I respect the opinion of Arnaud de Borchgrave ("Israel of the Caucasus?" Commentary, Thursday), his belief that Georgia was being readied by Israel as a base for striking at Iran's nuclear facilities is not credible. Any mission conducted by Israel to accomplish the destruction of Iranian nuclear plants would require the utmost secrecy with surprise being a key element.

Certainly Georgia would not be amenable to such tight security, and the arrival of a flotilla of Israeli aircraft with accompanying bombs to accomplish the mission would not go unnoticed. Instead, despite the objection of an Iraq that is now very friendly with Iran and remains hostile toward Israel, Israel has no choice, despite U.S. warnings, but to take the most direct route to its target, flying over Jordan and Iraq to reach its objective.

When the existence of a nation is at stake, diplomatic niceties must be dispensed with for obvious reasons.