The Bush administration has indefinitely shelved plans to set up a diplomatic outpost in Iran, following Iran’s refusal to discontinue uranium enrichment and cooperate with the IAEA on its nuclear weapons program.
While the article I've linked to makes a large deal out of the possible influence on our elections, I personally consider that horse manure. The current occupant of the White House has absolutely no interest in helping John McCain get elected.
The real story is that the mullahs consider Bush and Condi Rice to be an ineffectual lame duck administration and not worth dealing with..especially when the US press so helpfully shows the much more accommodating Obama leading.Why deal now when they'll likely get so much more from a President Obama?
The Iranians also would just as soon not have a US presence in Iran just now anyway, as they race towards achieving a nuclear weapon.And it's not that far off.
The Russians have agreed to supply Iran and Syria with the advanced S-300 missile defense systems to protect their nuclear sites. Once those ship, Israel will have a three to six month window, at most, to hit Iran's nuclear sites before taking them out becomes infinitely more difficult.
That was the real story behind Ehud Olmert's sudden trip to Moscow, to try and talk Putin out of supplying Iran and Syria with the new system. How well he succeeded can be seen by the fact that Putin was 'too busy' to see him, and Olmert had to make do with a short meeting with Putin's number two, Russian president Dmitri Medvedev.
According to Anatoly Isaikin, director of the Russian arms exports agency Rosoboronexport, the deal for the S-300's is on track..and I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they've already been shipped.The Russians have their own motives for providing Iran and Syria with the new systems. Now that the Russians are planning on basing their warships at Syrian and Iranian ports, the missile batteries will help guard them from air and sea attacks by Israel... or the US.
The Iranians are also feeling confident watching how the US failed to respond to Russia's aggression against Georgia and North Korea essentially thumbing it's nose at the Bush Administration and reactivating its nuclear program.And as for the other great diplomatic feat of Condi Rice, the Lebanon ceasefire, Hezbollah has rearmed and has all but taken over the country..while Syria's army masses on the border preparing to complete the process of making Lebanon a Syrian colony.
Meanwhile, President Bush appears to be committed to finishing out his term without dealing with the problem as the president is preoccupied with the ongoing financial meltdown and coasting to the finishing line on January 20th without any other problems surfacing.
The Israelis, of course, have been left holding the bag...first by the Bush Administration taking the military option against Iran off the table and second by the Bush Administration's insistance that Israel forego an attack on Iran and rely on diplomacy and sanctions. Olmert and Livni bought that particular merchandise and are only now realizing how worthless it really is.
And for that matter, it leaves the US in an untenable position as well.
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4 comments:
At this point, neither candidate for the Presidency seems to understand the situation with Russia. They both demonstrated this during last night's debate when they stated that they did not expect a new Cold War.
Russia has already renewed the Cold War. it is back on and American leaders seem untterly clueless. America really has two options here: 1.) Be prepared to publicly and directly respond to Russia's reopening of the Cold War by acting accordingly. It should be made abundantly clear that it is Russia who restarted the Cold War and not America. To state this would be the truth. Unfortunately we have a fairly large number of out right America haters and people who are sympathetic to America's enemies in positions of power.
If we are going to reopen the Cold War on our end, we will need to massively increase military spending to close the military gap between us and Russia. Right now we trail them in most key areas. This is going to mean less money available for social spending.
2.)America could withdraw from the global stage as a major power. If this is done, this may lessen the tension between America and Russia. Unfortunately Russian leadership and their friends in the Russian media have spent many years building up America as Russia's main enemy. If America ceases to be a major power, this will make Russia's destruction or outright conquest of America much easier. In other words, I don't think ceasing to be a major world power will halt Russian aggression against America or its interests. It will only embolden Russia further.
I think the best option for America and the free world is to understand that the Cold War is back on. We did not want it and perhaps had different choices been made in the past it might not be back on today. We made the choices we made and we cannot undo them at this point. Our only choice is to win the new Cold War and should it become a "Hot War" we need to win it, as well. Our only choice is complete and total victory over Russia and its allies.
How to do this? The same way it was done when Ronald Reagan was president. By outsmarting them. Also, the Russian leadership has grown exceedingly arrogant. They will make mistakes as arrogant people do. If we are alert, we can capitalize on these mistakes.
Part of our strategy needs to include an aggressive media campaign to promote America's interests. To often, especially in the international press, the only side of an issue that receives extended coverage is the position taken by Aemrica's enemies!! In this environment, there is no reasonable way for people to make informed decisions.
Frankly its no wonder they don't like us very much, in many cases the only information they have is the propaganda put forth by Aemrica's enemies. When the American side is presented, it is either very limited or it lacks the professional quality of the other side. We simply must do a better job here!!
LL reads ff essay.
LL re-reads ff essay.
LL re-reads ff essay again.
LL tries to figure out how this would be different from a kerry presidency. the surge would never have happened and iraq would have been annexed by iran.
but what else would be different.............oh yeah, jmac would be ahead in the polls ABOUT 25 POINTS!!!!!!
b.poster,
i have a couple of comments about your post.
one specific, one general.
Unfortunately we have a fairly large number of out right America haters and people who are sympathetic to America's enemies in positions of power.
and in a couple of months that will be the description of the first family.
Part of our strategy needs to include an aggressive media campaign to promote America's interests.
and just who are you going to get to do that????
CNN
MSNBC
NYT
maybe we could start a group like the current occupant of the white house did to get ra......... ra........ra........ people of middle eastern descent to like us. i wonder how that is coming along.
This is going to mean less money available for social spending.
iiiiiidoooonnn'tthhhhhiiiiinnnnkkkkssssoooooooo.
ok, that was three and they were specific.
as for myself i'm investing in a sign.
to hang outside my house.
it will read:
THE USA
IT WAS FUN WHILE IT LASTED
Louie,
Thanks for the reply to my post. Actually, I'm not sure if Barack Obama hates America. For now, I'm assuming he does not. It may be that some of the questionable people such as William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, and Tony Rezko that Obama has been associated with had and continue to have common interests and this led them to work together on certain projects. With that said it does call into question Obama's judgement. As I have said many times, I am no fan of Obama and will not be voting for him. Nevertheless I don't think it is necessarily the end of the country or the free world if Obama gets elected. It could be but it is not a foregone conclusion. In fact, it may be the end of the free world and America even if McCain gets elected but I do think McCain is the least inadequate of two woefully inadequate candidates.
I'm not sure who would lead the media campaign. That comment was more on what needed to be done rather than on who would actually do it. Russia and Iran have very effective public relations campaigns. Russia and Iran, especially Russia, have their operatives infiltrate media organizations and if this does not work their intellegence operatives kill off the people they don't like. Again, I'm not sure at this point how to do it. It is a tall order but what does seem clear is it MUST be done if America is to remain a major world power.
Obama has one of the slickest pr machines in American history. If he gets elected which it seems more likely than not that he will, his interests and his bottom line will be somewhat tied into how America does. At this time, perhaps his pals in the media will show some interest in fairly explaining America's position. Perhaps his election will soften some attitudes toward America in the Western European meida. Maybe this will make it easier to have America's position fairly represented.
If America wants to remain a major world power, social programs will need to be cut. America will need to vastly improve its military capabilities. This probably means an increase in military spending will be necessary. We do not seem to be in a position to afford to do both the massive social spending and the kind of military spending that will be necessary for America to remain a major world power. If America ceases to be a major world power, its economy will be much smaller and the funds will be unavailable for either the massive social programs or for the kind of military spending that has kept Aemrica secure in the past. In other words, without an increase in military capabilities which probably require more military spending America ceases to be a major world power which means the economy will shrink meaning the money is unavailable for the massive social programs some people seem to desire.
I would suggest holding off investing in the sign that you want to invest in. I don't know what will happen with an Obama election. It could be that a candidate such as Obama who clearly seems to be favored by traditional allies will mean they will be more predisposed to view us favorably and in turn they may be more willing to work with us in a constructive manner. For all I know, things could turn out much better as a result of an Obama presidency.
There are a number of things about Obama that concern me. But, if he wins, those who did not vote for him will need to find a way to work constructively with his Administration and the Democrats in Congress to best represent America's interests.
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