What Netanyahu will tell Obama about Iran
This is probably an accurate take on what Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will tell President Obama when the two meet in Washington on Monday: Netanyahu's job will be to convince Obama that the Iranian problem cannot be finessed in such a way. Success must be defined as the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program and enrichment capability. While Iran obviously will not abandon its program unless forced to do so, it is still possible to avoid military action by imposing the "crippling sanctions" that Secretary Clinton discussed during her recent Congressional testimony.Will Obama be capable of seeing it? Only if he gets off the ridiculous notion of linking it to the 'Palestinian' problem being resolved first.
Obama, understandably, wants to resolve the Iranian problem without a full showdown. Iran is banking on the fact that the West does not relish a confrontation, and is therefore trying to look as intransigent and determined as possible. But in reality there is no option of avoiding confrontation, because a nuclear or near-nuclear Iran will ultimately lead to confrontation or war. Further, Netanyahu will make it clear to Obama that Israel cannot tolerate even a "virtually" nuclear Iran and will take military action to prevent this, even though this would be much less preferable than forcing Iran to back down with crippling sanctions.
But the real reason for the U.S. to pursue a truly non-nuclear (and non-terrorist) Iran is not to avoid Israeli military action, but to advance American interests and security. The Iranian nuclear prospect clouds the international security landscape like the financial crisis looms over the global economy. Both clouds must be removed for the international community to prosper. Just as the financial crisis also presents opportunities, so does the Iranian crisis. Forcing Iran to back down would be the greatest setback for Islamofascism since the fall of radical regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq. Indeed, if Obama defuses the Iranian nuclear program, the world could experience the greatest advance in peace and security since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Conversely, if Iran does go nuclear or near-nuclear, existing clouds will continue to darken.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:32 AM
5 Comments:
There's a very good op-ed in the Sunday New York Times that should be mentioned in this thread since it contains an interesting discussion of the Netanyahu family background and why Israel is making Iran the priority in talks with the Obama White House this coming week. Jeffrey Goldberg has the details here:
Israel's Fears, Amalek's Arsenal
The closing observation from Shimon Peres says what every one in Israel understands is the lesson taught by Jewish history:
"If we have to make a mistake of overreaction or underreaction, I think I prefer the overreaction.”
This is why Israel will not live with a nuclear Iran. And there's lot more in the article.
Read it all.
Carl - you would never guess it - but here is what Saeb Erakat - the "moderate" PA's negotiator calls the biggest threat to peace in the Middle East:
Israel Is The Real Threat To The Region, Not Iran: Erakat
Its the Islamophobia, you see. Just give the Palestinians a reichlet and peace and brotherhood between Jew and Arab will finally blossom.
Yeah, right!
In the Tehran Times. If this is what the "moderate" Palestinians think of Israel, just imagine what the views of the Islamists are.
Carl - I should have said in the last post it was "Iranophobia." Erakat dismisses Israel's fears about Iran by implication as totally imaginary. Why, those Zionists, how clever of them to shift the focus from the Palestinian track! But you can see the Palestinian "moderates" think even more highly of Iran than their fellow Arabs! And for that Israel is supposed to again reward them with a reichlet? Iranophobia, my tuchis! Dream on!
Hello.
I'm reading your post and few things I could not understand.
Why must Iran's right to a technology that could benefit them in no-harm way, denied by the others?
There is no concrete evidence found that could be supportive to the invasion of Iraq. I believe the same thing goes to Iran's nuclear threat as well.
Ironically, countries that suggest this crippling sanctions to be imposed on Iran came from nuclear armed country itself.
I think, your idea of dismantling Iran's nuclear facilities is nothing more than prejudice and sentiment to Arab's world.
Carl,
Is he, BN easily will bow to Obama? As US can't bring peace to Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan I am convinced that US will NOT be able to bring peace between Israel and the Islamic world. Only Israel can secure Israel. Does BN has the courage?
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