After a week of “yes they can / no they can’t” lurching around by the political class viz imminent Iranian nukes and predictable Israeli responses, one of the adults jumps into the fray to declare that fiddle or no, the clock is still ticking:
The top U.S. military officer warned on Tuesday that time is running out for dialogue with Tehran to avoid either a nuclear-armed Iran or a possible military strike against the Islamic Republic.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it is critical for diplomatic efforts to reach a solution before Iran develops a nuclear weapon or faces an Israeli or U.S. strike to turn back its nuclear program.
“That window is a very narrow window,” Mullen told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.
“There’s a great deal that certainly depends on the dialogue and the engagement,” he said. “I’m hopeful that that dialogue is productive. I worry about it a great deal if it’s not.”
Mullen noted that some forecasters believe Iran could be as little as a year away from developing a nuclear bomb, adding: “The clock has continued to tick.”
This is such a bad-acid flashback to the Bu$hCheney era that my mellow is uncharitably harshed.
I should have thought we’d have this sorted by now. The hand of friendship, and that.
We are the world, people. Think it harder.
It is settled Iranian policy to develop a nuclear capability. Regardless of their feeling about their government, every report I’ve read says that this policy has the support of the Iranian people. The Iranian government will stop at nothing and commit any resource necessary to achieve this end. There is nothing that either the American government, the EU and it’s constituent nations, Russia, China or India can do to change this short of military action. Diplomacy is a tool that will be used to advantage by Iran, not by anyone else.
See, them Persians ain’t A-rabs. They don’t wanna be A-rab, they don’t even like them A-rabs. I had an Iranian tell me 6 yrs ago in Jax FL that they had more loathing for the A-rabs than they did for the Israelis. At least the Jews were “professionally adept and knew how to fight” he said. So who’s gonna be first kid on the block with “the bomb”? Why the Persians. With their current whacko in office doing all he can to hasten the return of the Mahdi as he is of the Haghani seminary school of training (According to journalist Tim Rutten “the Haghani is a particularly aggressive school of radical Shiite Islam which lives in expectation of the imminent coming of the Mahdi, a kind of Islamic messiah, who will bring peace and justice — along with universal Islamic rule — to the entire world. … Members … of this school believe they must act to speed the Mahdi’s coming.”) Getting the bomb to use on Israel or the Great Satan is simply an achievable step in bringing about the world’s islamization sooner than later. But the Arabs don’t buy that brand of Shia, don’t want a nuclear Iran anymore than we do, but don’t have the balls to do anything about it except tell Israel call us on 127.75 for flight clearance thru the ADIZ. ADM Mullen is justifiably jittery.
New direction: whatever happened to the NIE on Iran given to GWB that stated Iran had ceased its nuclear weapons development? Then the next proclamation was that they were 5-8 years from BOOM. Now CJCS says “a year”? Time to stock up on Potassium Iodide.
I have read that potassium iodide irritates the thyroid. Check out Iosol, which is iodine in a water solution.
I have no financial or other connection with the product.
Cool and the gang. I mean, King Abdullah, Bibi, and Obambi bombing down Iranian nuclear sites (choose the order of your linking).
Let’s only hope that they do not hit a running reactor and cause a meltdown Chernobyl style. Think of the pictures of dead or deadly sick Iranian children, contaminated by radiation. Ordinary Iranians are right now in everybody’s good books, as the rest of the world has come to like and cherish the pictures of young Iranians fighting for freedom.
“Bush” will be no word for the three above. Get ready to by your Prez a ticket to Den Haag, for the Interntional Court of Justice.
You know, I hadn’t thought about that…you know, how the Prez is inclined to let such august bodies handle cases with our military. Wow, couldn’t it be ironic, if he, as the Commander-in-Chief became a subject of such a case? I’m sure he’d try to proclaim “executive privilege,” and would be befuddled when they tell him to pound sand, that’s an “American thing.” Maybe he could tell them he’s being the World Police, because no one else would.
Anyhow, it would be the opposite of Prez Billy claiming he couldn’t go to civil court for all those women’s charges, because as C-in-C he was covered by the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act of 1964.
Gotta love a C-in-C who’s never spent a day in a uniform, don’t ya?
It’s Deja-vu all over again. I’ll bet the Israelis have a plan in place already. Heck, they just have to dust off the old one. And if I remember right, when they blew up the reactor they only killed one French scientist who was working late. And proved out the package of F-15 flying cover and F-16 dropping bombs.
I think we ought to hit a few buildings with some low yield cruise missiles and say, “Keep working on Nukes and the next Boom will be much, much bigger.” But then, I’m sure it’s a good thing I’m not in charge.
We could always drop Al Gore on them.
People who advocate the use of Al Gore against civilian targets outside the US are going to be the first in line at Den Haag. Crimes against humanity ain’t in it.
Mike
Biological warfare should NOT be an option. But then, maybe we could send them the complete set: Al Gore, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Chuck Rangel, Jimmy Carter, and Nancy Pelosi. All nuttier than a fruitcake, about as loved, and who would miss them when they’re gone?
“And if you act now, we will include at no additional cost Barney Frank. yes, you can now own the entire boxed set of “the most annoying, most assinine, most threatening to civil liberties” liberals we’ve ever assembled.” Makes a strike by Israelis look rather tame by comparison. What would you rather deal with – cesium 137 for the next 30 years, or 10 trillion in debt?
G-man/
Since you put it that way, I’m sittin’ here weighing (pun FULLY intended) Barny Frank and ALGORE on the one hand and cesium 137 on the other and sayin’ : “Note to self–where can I get me some of that tastee cesium 137?”
If the IDF doesn’t have a plan, why would Obama, Hillary (missing in action of late), et. al. have told them “No”?
Having heard a retired IDF General speak recently, at least some of them see themselves as taking care of this “problem” for the world. Certainly the IDF sees it as defending themselves from certain destruction. In the big picture, larger sense, however, the General said they are ready, willing and able to do it for everyone.
After all… they’ve done it before! The BIG QUESTION: “With the clock ticking… When?”
PeterG
Maybe we can start a $1 per bet lottery for “closest to the pin” for when the Israelis take out the nuke plants. Winner donates 50% to the LGF (Lex Guinness Fund). We tell all our friends, Lex’s hit numbers pop thru FL 360, and some lucky winner goes home with SNO tuition paid! Or in Virgil’s case, a couple a good meals at Commander’s Palace.
I like it G-man I’m in