Iran poll

Please take a poll on Iran here.

Yes, Mr. President, break this promise.

Obama, the promise breaker, is about to break another one. This one we can be happy about. Through out the campaign BHO insisted that he would hold high level talks with the Iranians without conditions. Everyone from Hillary to McCain excoriated Obama's naivete. The LA Times is reporting that finally...FINALLY...Obama may be coming to terms with the reality of Iran:

Outreach to U.S. adversaries was a signature campaign issue for Obama. During a Democratic presidential debate in July 2007, his chief adversary and now secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, argued that such an approach might be unwise.

It was "disgraceful," Obama said then, that the George W. Bush administration hadn't sought a dialogue with countries such as Iran....The administration seems to be discarding the optimistic scenario...

It's about damn time.

If Obama grows a set, and if he and the Russians and Europeans follow through and put real pressure on Iran it is possible an almost certain Israeli attack - that would send the world lurching toward hell - can be averted.

The bizarre thought process behind Obama's thinking last year was foolish on two fronts. One, he apparently thought the Iranians would happily - and suddenly - become honest negotiators. Two, he utterly disregarded Israel as a player. As if the Israelis would surely follow our naive lead. It was idiotic and had no basis in reality. Israel takes care of its business, with or without the support of American administrations. In the real world Israel's concerns in the region must be taken in to account whether one agrees or not. It was almost as if it had not occurred to Obama that Israel's concerns were a factor and that they might act on what they saw as their best interests.

Obama was called naive and weak for his campaign stance on Iran. No one got to the rub of it though - it was cocky. It was the policy pronouncement of a man utterly convinced that he, and he alone, could change thousands of years of history merely by showing up.

The delusional Obama who thought it was a good idea to sit down and chit chat with the murderous maniacs who run Iran needs to be put out to pasture. For good. A tougher, realistic President needs to come to the fore.

Yes, Mr. President, break your promise on Iran. Belligerence is not called for. Toughness is.

Where is Hillary?

Con Couglin at the UK Telegraph asks this question in regards to the new missile defense policy announced Thursday. I wondered the same thing in reviewing stories on it. Either she was aced out of the policy decision or she strongly disagreed and removed herself from the announcement process. Either scenario makes sense to me. She's clearly more hawkish than Obama and may want nothing to do with this decision. Though, Obama has been in the business of marginalizing her through out his first 8 months.

It's also important to note that the day after Obama nixed the missile defense system, Iran's President ranted that they will never give up their nuclear capability and again insisted the Holocaust was faked. Israel isn't likely to hold back much longer. It would not surprise me at all to wake up some morning between now and Christmas to news that Israel had bombed Iran. Agree or not, the consequences of this action would be wide ranging and affect us all.

Israel and Iran

As we move into the fall a number of big stories loom on the horizon - swine flu, a new banking crisis, and possibly most important of all : Iran.

Obama will have to come to grips with Iran sooner rather than later. His impulses toward Iran have been confused. We saw this demonstrated after the Iranian election.

However, Israel is not confused about Iran. It has a history of taking matters into its own hands.

From the LA Times:
Iran has until late September to respond to the latest international proposal aimed at stopping the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear weapon...But if diplomacy fails, the world should be prepared for an Israeli attack on Iran's suspected nuclear weapons facilities...If Israel attempts such a high-risk and destabilizing strike against Iran, President Obama will probably learn of the operation from CNN rather than the CIA.

The danger here is enormous. Yet, if Iran ignores the September deadline, Israel may see little reason for restraint. Many Americans will loudly applaud an attack while Arab nations loudly deplore it. (While quietly expressing relief.)

Uh. Oh. Iran Fires Missile...

...capable of reaching Israel and U.S. Mideast bases...go on then...read the rest.

Proportional response

I was at dinner last night with a friend who is Jewish which means nothing in this context - but I state it to ensure that this isn't read as 2 white guys griping about THE OTHER.

We were not.

A TV was on in the restaurant. Coverage of the two competing rallies at the Israeli consulate flashed on the local news.

My friend said quite simply: Without the guiding concept of proportional response there is no civilization.

This may be offensive to some -so be it - The Israeli quarantine and subsequent attack on Gaza is opportunistic and barbaric. This is not self-defense. It is not even an angry response to missiles being launched. It is state violence being unleashed on a trapped population.

Palestinian health ministry officials say at least 195 children are among those killed.

Israel has forsaken what ever scrap of land they once held on the moral high ground.

Oh Gaza

Gaza is heartbreaking. The recent eruption of violence is unbearable. Strong opinion either way eludes me. Children being hurt enrages. Yet, no nation can tolerate hundreds of missile attacks.

As with all Israeli military actions, this one brings the air of doom with it. The endtimes clock, embedded in our collective psyche, always moves forward with the news of widespread Middle East violence. Though this is about Hamas on the surface- the subtext is all Iran. Israel, with or without our help, is going deal with Iran. This may have been what prompted Biden's now infamous remark about PEBO being tested. Regardless, I doubt the Israel/Iran situation will be status quo next December.

I wish, fancifully, that the religious agony between Muslims and Jews would suddenly and miraculously cease. From the widest angle Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are not separate religions. They are sections of one. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all worship the God of Abraham. This singular God could be a centering force, if truly respected.

But, alas, the people of the Book are lost in fury - so my fantasy is foolish and I am a simpleton.