What is wrong with this administration? They’ve collectively failed to pull together into a united front on several issues. Robert Gates cuts Obama off at the knees today.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates says that he thinks economic penalties rather than diplomacy are more likely to bring success to U.S. efforts on Iran.
Gates says that if enough economic pressure is placed on Iran, diplomacy might provide what he calls “an open door” for Iranians if they choose to change their policies.
Gates says economic penalties are likely to get the Iranians to the table.
If you’re keeping track it’s been about nine days since Obama poured his heart out in diplomacy to the Iranian regime. This also flies in the face of Obama’s “no preconditions” promise from the campaign. Obama’s diplomacy got shot down and now the administration has to backpedal.
There is a secondary failing in this strategy, beyond the revisionism. It completely ignores the failure of the UN sanctions on Iran that specifically target the nuclear program, now almost three years old, despite continued intensification by the Security Council. In the face of the West Iran has accepted fuel from Russia and is now testing the first reactor at Bushehr, in southern Iran. With the Russian’s help. This plant is going online.
Check this out.
The defense secretary says Iran is not close to obtaining a nuclear weapon. He says Tehran lacks the capability at this point to enrich enough uranium to the levels needed for a weapon.
They don’t need to capability because they can a) buy the equipment to do it from the Russians or b) buy the proficiently enriched uranium from the Russians.
Iranians are also hanging out with our other allies, the North Koreans. You’ll remember that the North Koreans supposedly have a moderately advanced nuclear program. Now they’re teaming up and Obama has no plan to dissuade them outside of the same horribly ineffective sanctions.
Missile experts from Iran are in North Korea to help Pyongyang prepare for a rocket launch, according to reports.
Amid increasing global concern over the launch, which the US and its allies consider to be illegal, Japan’s Sankei Shimbun newspaper claimed today that a 15-strong delegation from Tehran has been in the country advising the North Koreans since the beginning of March.
Elsewhere we have administration officials playing down expectations for Obama diplomacy. When the promises of peace fade into a landscape lacking in miracles to avoid addressing that Obama is devoid of any foreign policy experience the damage control must begin. As disastrously as the economy has been handled by Obama and Co. I think they might be glad the nation’s attention is drawn away from terrorism.
Richard Holbrooke is the U.S. envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. He says that 30 years of bitter disagreements between the U.S. and Iran won’t be erased in one meeting.
For all the thundering about peace, love and understanding the administration is consistently playing down their hopes for Iran. Meeting without preconditions has already faded into increasing sanctions and we rational voters will likely have to wait until 2012 to see someone tackle the Iran situation with a worthy strategy. Hell, at this point I would accept any consistent strategy for Iran.
Meanwhile…
- Palestinians shut down a youth orchestra for playing songs of peace for Holocaust survivors.
- Obama is refusing to protect the border.
- Obama, the President of the United States, fires the GM CEO
- Something worth fighting for (in Texas at least): concealed weapons allowed on campus.
- Oh, and apparently Ashley Biden is on coke.
I hope the Iranians have 10,000 nuclear weapons. They’re going to need them. Peace through strength.