Israel Matzav

Another reason for Israel to ignore the White House timetable on Iran

The Pakistan situation is closing the window of opportunity for Israel to strike Iran faster than is imagined or comfortable. If Pakistan's nukes are deemed to be in danger from Taliban/Qaeda overrun, Obama will become absolutely hysterically opposed to any Israel attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Obama will be just too overwhelmed with dealing with one Islamic nukes crisis to be able to rationally contend with another. Imagine Obama ratcheting up the anti-Israel measures Bolton describes [Could Danny have meant the measures I described at the end of my post on Bolton's Wall Street Journal piece? CiJ] to a degree even Bolton does not suggest -- I would see that happening if Israel strikes Iran in the midst of a Taliban coup in Islamabad.

(Note that Iran's actually producing/testing a nuclear weapon would likely rank lower in crisis terms, in Obama's perspective, than an Israeli strike to prevent same; you and others have posited that already, obviously.)

In short, Israel should consider the Pakistan situation as a high-potential out-of-control risk factor, and act before that materializes. Another urgent reason for Israel to ignore the White House timetable on Iran, and do what it has to do.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:09 AM