The Latest on Bombing or Talking to Iran

New York Times -The Opininator:A Gathering of Opinion From Around The Globe ^ | Eric Etheridge

[lbryce]

New York Times -The Opininator:A Gathering of Opinion From Around The Globe

The Latest on Bombing or Talking to Iran

Let’s start with the bombing. Ace at Ace of Spades HQ points to a Jerusalem Post story today in which a former Israeli official floats a conditional timeline for bombing Iran.

Israel will be compelled to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities if Western powers do not impose serious sanctions against Teheran by the end of 2009, former deputy defense minister Ephraim Sneh said on Wednesday.

He also points to a second Post story, a report on Nicholas Sarkozy’s comments earlier today on the true goal of Iran’s nuclear program. “It is a certainty to all of our secret services,” said the French President. “Iran is working today on a nuclear [weapons] program.”

Michael Ledeen excerpts those sentences and a few more from Sarkozy’s remarks, and swoons: “He really has his moments, doesn’t he? And he’s really got an intelligence service . . . sigh.”

Jeffrey Goldberg picks up another remark from an AFP story, which reported that Sarkozy “said he would not ’shake the hand of someone who wants to wipe Israel off the map’, referring to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.”

Back to Goldberg:

In reading that last paragraph, I have to say that I felt some jealousy; I wish the American President would make a bit more clear his outrage at Iran’s desire to see Israel eliminawted. I don’t doubt that he finds it outrageous, but sometimes a little emotion would be useful.

[lbryce]

This is the New York Times we're talking about here so there's no way I'm going to get carried away, get caught off guard, ameliorating any the vehemence, hostility they very much well deserve. They've done a decent job of bringing in varied, disparate viewpoints, perspectives from across the political spectrum particularly in this case regarding Iranian nukes that makes for a comprehensive, thoughtful discussion of the issues, where we'll all better off for it.

[LeoWindhorse]

if Sarkozy had any stones he would work with Israel to make sure that the plane carrying the enemy leader did not reach home .