Israel Matzav

Cantor: 'There is no substitute for American leadership in the Middle East'

The contrast between Representative Eric Cantor (R-Va) and the Obama administration could not be more striking.

Beyond the strategic challenges posed by the Arab Spring lies an urgent threat -- Iran's determination to achieve nuclear weapons capability. Iran's effort, if successful, could destabilize the Middle East, spur a regional nuclear arms race and undermine America's influence in this pivotal region.

Unfortunately, the window to solve this problem without conflict gets smaller with each passing day as Iran attempts to master the enrichment of uranium. Several administrations have tried engaging Iran and offering security guarantees, but that has not prevented the country from pursuing the bomb or patronizing the world's most dangerous terrorist groups. Economic and diplomatic pressures haven't worked either, but they have been episodic, gradual and largely unilateral. While the U.S. left Iran's market years ago, we can still exert great pressure through financial sanctions, and President Barack Obama should do so.

...

The latest round of European sanctions is designed to compel Iran to come back to the negotiating table. If the Iranians do so, the desire for a deal at any cost should not be permitted to overshadow our long experience in negotiating with rogue states. We must focus on the results rather than the process of negotiations.

With its nuclear centrifuges continuing to spin, Iran cannot be allowed -- as it has been in the past -- to further delay this process. Mere promises cannot be rewarded with a loosening of pressure. Iran's leaders must feel dramatic pressure that imperils their very hold on power until their abandonment of nuclear program can be verified.

...

In addition to sanctions, we must actively combat Iran's influence throughout the Middle East.

Our partners are perplexed at what they perceive as our lackadaisical response to Iran's support of extremist proxies. And in Iraq, our partners believe that America's abandonment of that country has left a vacuum that Iran is only too eager to fill. It is hard to see why the Obama administration has not expended more effort in trying to keep Iraq -- a potentially rich and influential country at the heart of the Middle East that was liberated at such great cost -- more firmly in the American camp.

Finally, there is the low-hanging fruit of Syria.

Bashar al-Assad's regime may be Iran's most important strategic partner. Instead of aggressively combating Syria's support to Hamas and Hezballah and interference in Lebanon and Iraq, the Obama administration came to office seeking to engage al-Assad. It failed.

Now the president has finally acknowledged that it's time for al-Assad to go. America should not defer to obstinate Russian diplomats at the United Nations about Syria. Instead, we should lead an international effort to apply tremendous pressure on Syria and provide demonstrable support to its growing political opposition. The longer the Syrian crackdown is allowed to continue, the greater the risk of chaos and the harder it will be to put Syria back together. If Syria goes down, it would be a serious blow to the Iranian regime.

There is no substitute for American leadership in the Middle East. It is time for the Obama administration to show it.

Can the world survive until next January? What happens if God forbid Obama is reelected?

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Eric Cantor, leading from behind

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:53 AM