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America's Iranian self-deception
AEI/WSJ ^ | February 27, 2012 | Frederick W. Kagan, Maseh Zarif

Posted on 02/27/2012 7:34:07 AM PST by nuconvert

Americans are being played for fools by Iran—and fooling themselves. There is no case to be made that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear weapons capability. There is no evidence that Iran's decision-makers are willing to stop the nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions or anything else. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported on Friday that it has made no progress in its negotiations with Iran and that Iran continues to accelerate its enrichment operations, which are in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and agreements with the IAEA.

Yet the policy discussion in the U.S. is confused. Former Ambassador Dennis Ross writes that the Iranians are ready for talks. Anonymous administration officials refer to one of the most dangerous Iranian nuclear installations, Fordow, outside the city of Qom, as "a Potemkin facility." The media are full of comparisons to Iraq in 2003, when suspicions that Iraq was pursuing a covert nuclear program led to war.

People are conflating intelligence assessment with policy recommendation. The prospect of war with Iran is so distasteful that people are desperate to persuade themselves that the problem is not serious.

(Excerpt) Read more at aei.org ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: dennisross; fordow; iaei; iran; natanz; nukes; obama

1 posted on 02/27/2012 7:34:13 AM PST by nuconvert
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To: nuconvert

It never ends huh? Damn, time to 4x4 down the mountains into town for some chow.


2 posted on 02/27/2012 7:44:52 AM PST by bobby.223 (Retired up in the snowy mountains of the American Redoubt and it doesn't get any better than that!)
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To: nuconvert

It never ends huh? Damn, time to 4x4 down the mountains into town for some chow.


3 posted on 02/27/2012 7:44:52 AM PST by bobby.223 (Retired up in the snowy mountains of the American Redoubt and it doesn't get any better than that!)
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To: AdmSmith; freedom44; LibreOuMort; Pan_Yans Wife; Army Air Corps; GOPJ; mazda77; Cyrus the Great; ...

pong


4 posted on 02/27/2012 7:51:55 AM PST by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: All

See here for reply to anonymous administration officials “Potemkin facility” statement -

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2851930/posts


5 posted on 02/27/2012 7:59:51 AM PST by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: nuconvert
It's actually very simple: This America can't win a war against Iran, no matter what is at stake. With a different CiC and MSM things might be otherwise. But any war started now will be a half-hearted attempt to boost Obama's poll numbers, with strict rules of engagement that will kill a lot of our soldiers. For nothing.
6 posted on 02/27/2012 8:01:37 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves (CTRL-GALT-DELETE)
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To: Mr. Jeeves

What is needed is tactical nukes for the encased sites for a surgical strike and then a couple of regulars to prove a point with zero American on the ground troop involvement.

That will not happen as long as Obama is in the White House. He will never bomb his brethren, matter of fact, he will side with them. Trust that every move of his is with that in mind.

In the meanwhile the problem grows and Obama is putting more of America and Europe at risk, let alone Israel. But then again, he coesnt care about Israel, Europe or America.

Judge that by looking at his proxies in the “Arab Spring”


7 posted on 02/27/2012 9:01:16 AM PST by himno hero (Obamas theme...Death to America...The crusaders will pay!)
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To: Mr. Jeeves
...any war started now will be a half-hearted attempt to boost Obama's poll numbers, with strict rules of engagement that will kill a lot of our soldiers. For nothing.

Best leave this mess up to Israel...

8 posted on 02/29/2012 11:10:54 AM PST by GOPJ (GAS WAS $1.85 per gallon on the day Obama was Inaugurated! - - freeper Gaffer)
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