The Obama Administration, still clinging to its failed engagement policy on Iran, is pressuring Israel to hold off launching an attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure in self defense. The public admonishment of a close ally is a grave error that is likely to backfire by easing pressure on Iran and ultimately increasing the chances of war.
In a Sunday CNN interview, General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that U.S. officials had advised Israel that an immediate attack would be “premature” and counterproductive. He said U.S. officials are not convinced that Tehran has decided to pursue nuclear weapons and that sanctions are starting to bite: “On that basis, I think it would be premature to exclusively decide that the time for a military option was upon us.” General Dempsey said that he is confident that the Israelis “understand our concerns, that a strike at this time would be destabilizing and wouldn’t achieve their long-term objectives.”
That message is likely to be a welcome one in Tehran, where it is likely to reduce the pressure on Iran’s defiant regime to halt its nuclear weapons program. It suggests that the Obama Administration is more concerned about preventing an Israeli attack than in preventing an Iranian nuclear capability, as The Wall Street Journal pointed out today in an editorial.
Sanctions have imposed an increasingly steep price on Iran’s hostile regime for continuing its dangerous policies. But sanctions alone are unlikely to decisively alter Tehran’s nuclear plans any more than they halted North Korea’s nuclear plans. Even many officials within the Obama Administration reportedly recognize this fact.
Only sanctions backed by the credible threat of the use of force are likely to dissuade Tehran from continuing on its nuclear path. Iran in fact did freeze its nuclear program in 2003 after the Bush Administration presented such a credible threat by invading Iraq and overthrowing Saddam Hussein when he failed to live up to his obligations to destroy his prohibited missiles and weapons of mass destruction programs. Libya’s Muammar Qadhafi also gave up his nuclear and chemical weapons program when he thought that he might be the next target.
But the Obama Administration has preferred to engage the murderous regime in Tehran and misses few opportunities to stress its preference for diplomacy and abhorrence of the military option. This reduces the chances of resolving the problem satisfactorily and ultimately only increases the chances of war. It could lead Israel to take unilateral action to defend itself against Iran’s nuclear menace. Worse yet, it could lead Tehran to miscalculate that it has little to fear if it continues its nuclear defiance.
Instead of pressuring Israel, the Obama Administration should be focused on bringing maximum pressure to bear on Iran.
Obama is simply hoping this thing holds off until after the election.
Iran is just calling this administrations bluff by not backing off their goals.. Isreal just realizes Iran should be taken at it's word. This administration will be defined by being a bystander in the results of this conflict.
What the warmongers want is for Israel to attack Iran, which will then draw us into yet another war. Cheney must really be wishing for this so his Halliburton stock options are worth even more! And just think of the massive amount of weapons and weapon systems we can build. Who says government can't create jobs! Let's just bomb the hell out of everyone that we don't agree with!!!
I am surprised you did not blame Bush somewhere in there. I have a suggestion; you need to visit Iran. Let us see what your perspective would be if you ever get back.
1 word – "Lybia" (Obama and the UN santioned war, no congress aproval.)
You might be happier just knowing that Michael Morre's Halliburton stock will increase too.
Yet another example of this President and this Administration's ineptitude. He is in way over his head.
Obama knows exactly what he is doing because, he and those of his ilk, have an anti-Christ spirit. They are hell bent on destroying American capitalism, national sovereignty (to push toward a one-world government/leader), Israel, and Biblical Christianity. There has been a subtle deceptive push by Fabian Statists since the early 1900's in America (imported from Great Britain) and it is affective EVERY aspect of our way of life…but pressed hard since Obama illegitimately was elected President. Stand Up Americans if you love this nation because the man who does nothing for what he believes will fall for any lie!
The regimes is giving the go ahead to Iran. Basically saying you take Israel out, I'll take car of the U.S. mission accomplished. Had enough yet?
He refuses to back our only true friend in the Middle East instead showing his heels to our enemies
There in doubt that Obama’s foreign policy has become an Islam-centric foreign policy which has broken the link between Israel and the United States and has made the Middle East vastly more unstable and only encourage rebellion in Egypt. The military support of the Libyan rebellion has only propelled the jihadist Muslim Brotherhood movement to power in both nations. The announcement that we may withdraw from Afghanistan a year early relieves pressure on Iran and encourages both Iran and Pakistan to continue their strong support for the Taliban and by all accounts, the continuing inaction against Iran, aside from sanctions, Obama is pushing Israel toward war…..do I smell re-election?
Good analysis.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, the authors at HF still don't understand. Obama is NOT making errors.This is deliberate action against Israel in favor of a radical Islamic country that has vowed to "wipe Irsael off the fac of the map". It's really frighting to see the total lack of recognization by most Americans that the true intention of Obama, and the powers that put him in office, is to destroy our Western way of life.
Dear God, I pray every night for this nightmare of what is suppose to be and administration of leadeship to the American people,but has fallen on all acounts. We can't eat what we desire because of the FOOD POLICE", We can't educate our children because they should be WARDS of the State, which requries longer school hours in order to subject them to socialist propaganda! We once had health care paid by the wealthy in order to help the poor be helped. NOW we have had ROMNEYCARE along with obama ramed down our throats when we didn't subsribe to it. We can't oppose govt policies that are alien to the Amerian tax payers. We have a president who spends more time traveling across the globe with nothing much in return to show for it…except up risings and middle east govt in turmoil while pretending to proclaim democracy when all we are seeing is exchanging one radical regime for another….and that's democracy???_Stay home Mr. President…stay home!
Stay home in Hawaii. I don't even want to see his face on this continent.