Posted on 09/18/2009 7:09:11 AM PDT by NativeNewYorker
Despite the outcry that President Obama has sold out the Europeans and caved to the Russians by cancelling missile defenses in Europe, it was the right thing to do. Those defenses were not going to work (or work well enough or soon enough to matter in any major crisis with Iran), and the diplomatic price we were paying for them was far out of proportion to any small gains we might have made by annoying the Russians or reassuring the Czechs and the Poles. (The stated reason for the cancellation — that we’re more worried about medium-range missile threats — is technically accurate, but only for the moment, and sounds more like a rationalization than a reason.)
What really remains to be seen is whether the Obama administration is now going to take the far more important next step of making the Russians and Iranians reciprocate with meaningful actions instead of empty applause. Specifically, we should make clear to Moscow that we’re done dithering over arms reduction, that we do not expect to hear any more protests from senior Russian military leaders about the crucial importance of massive nuclear warheads to Russian security, and that we want significant help in containing the Iranians. More important, we should send a clear warning to Tehran that the reason we do not need missile interceptors in Europe is that we will never, under any circumstances, allow Iran to develop nuclear arms or the long-range means to deliver them.
The Obama administration has an opportunity to turn its decision — which so far seems tentative and even reluctant — into a unilateral display of U.S. strength and confidence, and thereby seize the high ground on arms reduction while warning one of the world’s most recalcitrant proliferators that the game will soon be over. Hopefully, this is an opportunity the president and his advisers will seize.
As an aside, it would be a pity if this is actually part of an inside-the-Beltway maneuver to allow the development of the Reliable Replacement Warhead. But that’s a separate problem — at least for now.
http://tinyurl.com/nicholsbio
I wonder what is color of the sky is on his planet?
Uh huh. Doesn't this caveat negate everything else he says?
NeoCons - Almost completely worthless
They have lost their minds if they think this administration is going to ask Russia or Iran for concessions. Thats the kind of thing you make them agree to before you surrender, not after when they just laugh at you.
b b b bb but he lied
Almost?
Yes it does.
We surrender and THEN ask them to reciprocate.
Why should they? What a joke.
And the US is declining as a global power. Our crushing debt and expanded welfare programs will force more cuts in defense. We will have to choose eventually between guns and butter and we will choose butter because it is politically expedient to do so.
What really remains to be seen is whether the Obama administration is now going to take the far more important next step of making the Russians and Iranians reciprocate with meaningful actions instead of empty applause. Specifically, we should make clear to Moscow that we’re done dithering over arms reduction, that we do not expect to hear any more protests from senior Russian military leaders about the crucial importance of massive nuclear warheads to Russian security, and that we want significant help in containing the Iranians.
You sure as hell don't "make" the Russians and Iranians do anything by capitulating to them.
NRO we hardly know you.
Stopped reading them a while back.
How in the world does anyone say this “doesn’t work” given that we have hundreds of successful tests and only two or three unsuccessful tests? A reasonable person would conclude it works damn well.
The USA needs to drop back to its use of nuclear weapons as a deterrent. If a threat comes from any country we need to hold that country responsible and quit fartin’ around with these fringe guerilla warriors.
If you are talking about McCain — I have no clue when he went from a reliable conservative to who knows what you would call him now. One day conservative, another liberal, one day reaching across the aisle, another day saying the Dems won’t listen. On a daily basis McCain can be firmly with conservatives and the next day sounding like a liberal.
Years ago McCain was right up there with the other conservataive voting over 90% each year and then the bottom fell out and it has been a toss up ever since.
My God!
Is this guy for real?
It's like being in a war, seeing your enemy aim his gun at you, then calmly throwing your own gun away, and expecting your sworn enemy not to shoot you, and blow your stupid head off.
The guy who wrote this article shouda worked for Jimmy Carter. He's got horse hockey for brains.
When the missiles begin to fly from Iran towards the USA,
what would you rather have:
a missile defense that, according to this clown, probably won’t work ...
or no missile defense at all ... ?????????????????
I read the link from the sometimes disappointing NRO and the gist of the article is that the missile defense system may not work against “Iran” - why Iran is the only possible offender is anyone’s guess - and the dismissive tone is because, I guess according to the NRO, Poland isn’t an ally worthy of us helping them establish a semblance of missile defense.
Then the article mentioned hoping we would receive reciprocation from the likes of Iran (????) and Russia.
Poland has been a stalwart friend of the U.S. since at least 1980 and has been the second largest provider of troops in Iraq since our good war there has started. We, as a nation, should be a little more respectful of those who were there for us in our hour of need.
NRO (except for Steyn and VDH) is a disappointment. However, in this case, this was just one entry on the Corner. The rest were strongly apposed to this move. I assume they gave this idiot space in order to be fair and balanced.
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