Free Republic

Iran has seized a second tanker, US official says From CNN's Barbara Starr Iran has also seized a second tanker, the Liberian-flagged MV Mesdar, according to a US official. Two more US officials tell CNN that, according to maritime intelligence reports, the indication is the Mesdar has been seized. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced earlier that its navy has captured a British-flagged tanker ‘Stena Impero’ in the Strait of Hormuz. The order of seizure of the two ships isn’t clear at this time.

As we enter 2012, the question of whether our president is planning to go to war might seem far-fetched. After all, all reports indicate that Obama doesn't feel comfortable with the military. Going to war would fly in the face of his claim that he was going to finally use "smart" diplomacy instead of the saber-rattling of George W. Bush. Obama declared during the primary debates for the Democratic nomination that he would be glad to meet with any head of government without preconditions. We can see that his policies and inclinations toward bilateral or multilateral negotiations to avoid conflict...