Obama Is Pushing Israel Toward War

Wall Street Journal ^ | September | Bret Stephens

[lbryce]

Events are fast pushing Israel toward a pre-emptive military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, probably by next spring. That strike could well fail. Or it could succeed at the price of oil at $300 a barrel, a Middle East war, and American servicemen caught in between. So why is the Obama administration doing everything it can to speed the war process along?

At July's G-8 summit in Italy, Iran was given a September deadline to start negotiations over its nuclear programs. Last week, Iran gave its answer: No.

Instead, what Tehran offered was a five-page document that was the diplomatic equivalent of a giant kiss-off. It begins by lamenting the "ungodly ways of thinking prevailing in global relations" and proceeds to offer comprehensive talks on a variety of subjects: democracy, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, "respect for the rights of nations," and other areas where Iran is a paragon. Conspicuously absent from the document is any mention of Iran's nuclear program, now at the so-called breakout point, which both Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his boss Ali Khamenei insist is not up for discussion.

What's an American president to do in the face of this nonstarter of a document? What else, but pretend it isn't a nonstarter. Talks begin Oct. 1.

All this only helps persuade Israel's skittish leadership that when President Obama calls a nuclear-armed Iran "unacceptable," he means it approximately in the same way a parent does when fecklessly reprimanding his misbehaving teenager. That impression is strengthened by Mr. Obama's decision to drop Iran from the agenda when he chairs a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Sept. 24; by Defense Secretary Robert Gates publicly opposing military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities; and by Russia's announcement that it will not support any further sanctions on Iran.

[lbryce]

It's extremely difficult to imagine how Israel might survive diplomatically in a post-attack-on-Iran era, where the best of outcomes would IMHO reverberate in all sorts of terrible ways, the result of "unintended consequences", exponential in its impact.

That Iran would be left fully capable, dead-set (pun-intended) in extracting retribution to the extreme against Israel, the West, is a scenario as assured as anything could be.

I am as zealous a Sharon-supporter/military Likudnik as there is but having Israel undertake a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities unleashes diabolical consequences Israel might regret ever having unleashed.

I often think how Israel shirked away from responding to Iran's attack on its embassy in Argentina, knowing quite well that Iranians were one group of madmen never to trifle with. Based on that rationale, to think Israel would proceed with a mission of such overwhelming magnitude in an attack on Iran, seems IMHO highly unlikely.

[MattinNJ]

A) He's doing this on purpose just like he is destroying the economy on purpose. He hates Israel and $ 300.00 a barrell oil will finish our economy off

B) Jewish voters overwhelmingly voted for this ass clown. Hope they are happy. While we (the people) may be able to slow his socialist agenda by marching on the Capitol we have no affect on Iran or Israel.

[evets]

[lbryce]

Indeed. Absolutely, positively.

[gaijin]

The more sabre-rattling I hear, the less I believe it.

I’ve been reading hyperventilative stories like this for, what...? Three years...?

I feel the slothlike inertia now more than ever.

NO ATTACK WILL COME —this talk is intended to substitute for action...

[TalBlack]

“...a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities unleashes diabolical consequences Israel might regret ever having unleashed.”

Israel wins in the end. To hell with Iran and their God-damned mullah's.

[Sig Sauer P220]

He’s a muzzie. He hates Jews and Israel. Yet a large majority of “Jews” in this country love hussein. It’s Bizarro World.

[fortunecookie]

It's extremely difficult to imagine how Israel might survive diplomatically in a post-attack-on-Iran era, where the best of outcomes would IMHO reverberate in all sorts of terrible ways, the result of "unintended consequences", exponential in its impact. -snip- but having Israel undertake a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities unleashes diabolical consequences Israel might regret ever having unleashed.

I agree. The Obama administration seems hell bent on pushing Israel in between a rock and a hard place. But the consequences have long been the worst case scenario, one I hope we can avoid. But just who is there to lead any diplomacy?

[Sans-Culotte]

B) Jewish voters overwhelmingly voted for this ass clown. Hope they are happy. While we (the people) may be able to slow his socialist agenda by marching on the Capitol we have no affect on Iran or Israel.

There appears to be a disconnect between many American Jews (the liberal ones, anyway) and Israel.

[AFPhys]

The CommuFascist “progressives” are pushing the United States toward War!

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[RobbyS]

He looks good in a beard, Maybe we can get some 12 year old girl to write him a letter suggesting he grow one. /s

[lbryce]

lol. Yeah. It’s about time those guys who have the president’s ear get the notoriety they deserve.

[usurper]

I am as zealous a Sharon-supporter/military Likudnik as there is but having Israel undertake a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities unleashes diabolical consequences Israel might regret ever having unleashed.

That’s why I think that Israel should consider avoiding the nuclear facilities altogether and target the country’s leadership and republican guard in a massive strike. They are the real problem not Iran’s nuclear program.

Make clear that you are avoiding taking out any infrastructure or people not directly supporting the leadership. I think the majority of the population would be happy to be rid of them. If the strategy fails you can always target the facilities next.

[justiceseeker93]

It's extremely difficult to imagine how Israel might survive diplomatically in a post-attack-on-Iran-era...

Think back to Israel's attack on the Iraqi nuclear facility at Osirak in 1981. Israel was widely condemned around the world initially, even by some in the Reagan administration. But many soon realized that Israel had done the West a great favor, and so her diplomatic position with allies was not seriously impaired in the longer run.

The intuitive guess here will be that, if successful, a preemptive Israeli strike on Iran would draw about the same response from around the world. I don't anticipate that diplomatic considerations will deter Israel if a preemptive strike on Iran is the only option consistent with Israel's survival.

[MestaMachine]

IF Israel attacked Iran, it would be very good for the Saudis, (which is who obama owes his allegiance to,) and it would be very bad for us, but good for obama.

It would be very bad for Israel in terms of world recrimination. It would drive up the price of oil, which obama thinks is to his advantage in destroying what is left of OUR Capitalist infrastructure and HE would blame Israel.

Iran would escalate the attacks on Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan and bam would blame Israel.

Israel would come under attack on the ground from Lebanon, Gaza, West Bank, Iranian proxies equipped by Iran and Syria. Iran itself would not fire on Israel.

The US would not lift a finger to help them, the UN would condemn them, and bam thinks he would be killing two birds with one stone. The Israelis would be in the fight of their lives, and the US would be in a state of economic collapse.

BUT, and it is a BIG BUT, Russia, who everyone believes would side with the arabs...will not. Nor will India. Israel does have backup, even though Russia has played the bad cop for a long time.

If not for Russia and the fact that Iran and their satellites trusted them, they would have gone nuclear a long time ago. Putin is a pragmatist. Russia has no need for mideast oil. They stand to gain big time from a shut down of the Straits of Hormuz, but they would NEVER trust Iran with a nuke...or Syria either.

When Israel attacked the nuclear facility in Syria, NONE of the Russian defense systems Syria had just installed worked. What an amazing coincidence.

[prophetic]

The NWO has been on track and you must remember that Rockerfeller even lent money to Hitler to get things rolling.

[SunkenCiv]

Events are fast pushing Israel toward a pre-emptive military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, probably by next spring. That strike could well fail. Or it could succeed at the price of oil at $300 a barrel, a Middle East war, and American servicemen caught in between... At July's G-8 summit in Italy, Iran was given a September deadline to start negotiations over its nuclear programs. Last week, Iran gave its answer: No... Talks begin Oct. 1... Mr. Obama's decision to drop Iran from the agenda when he chairs a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Sept. 24; by Defense Secretary Robert Gates publicly opposing military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities; and by Russia's announcement that it will not support any further sanctions on Iran.

[rmlew]

It's extremely difficult to imagine how Israel might survive diplomatically in a post-attack-on-Iran era, where the best of outcomes would IMHO reverberate in all sorts of terrible ways, the result of "unintended consequences", exponential in its impact. That Iran would be left fully capable, dead-set (pun-intended) in extracting retribution to the extreme against Israel, the West, is a scenario as assured as anything could be.
ISrael is far less likely to survive a nuclear Iran. If war is inevitable, don't wait until the enemy can destroy you.

I am as zealous a Sharon-supporter/military Likudnik as there is but having Israel undertake a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities unleashes diabolical consequences Israel might regret ever having unleashed.
A true Likudnik would not call himself a Sharon supporter. Sharon was an opportuninist who betrayed the Likud and the Israeli electorate when he ignored his campaign promises, gave up Gaza to become Hamas rocket bases, and formed the Kadima party to justify his political betrayal. Moreover, he is now a veggie on life support. Netanyahu is the Likud PM.