Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations today centered on trying to convince the world that a red line needs to be drawn to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. To do that he literally drew a red line on a cartoon picture of a bomb. To the chattering classes following the speech on Twitter, this was a joke. But the reaction to the simplistic bomb diagram illustrated Netanyahu’s problem perfectly. Iran is getting closer every day to achieving its nuclear ambition. In response, world leaders, like President Obama, talk about the need to stop Tehran and even pledge not to contemplate containment of a nuclear Iran. But unless they make it as clear as that red marker line on the diagram, they will fail.
That is the key issue. Netanyahu thanked President Obama for his promises on Iran, but pointed out that without a red line that will make it clear that Iran will not be allowed to accumulate enough uranium to build a bomb, such pledges are meaningless. The Israeli’s frustration stems from the fact that an international consensus about an Iranian bomb being a bad thing won’t stop it from happening. The complacent attitude that always thinks failed diplomacy and ineffective sanctions can be given more time is a guarantee of such failure.
Critics will claim that Netanyahu’s description of Iran’s enrichment process doesn’t tell the whole truth because they believe that the uranium accumulated so far isn’t of weapons grade material. But, as the UN’s own investigative body, the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported, the progress made in the last year makes the advances Netanyahu discussed quite realistic.
The wiseacres can laugh all they like about Netanyahu’s cartoon. But the facts that it represents cannot be dismissed with witticisms. Talk about Iran not backed up with clear warnings is exactly what the ayatollahs are counting on.
It would appear that Israel stands alone, yet again. The world laughs at Mr. Netanyahu's figure because they know he's right. They also know that the rhetoric notwithstanding, Mr. Obama has little intention of stopping Iran. The folks at Foggy Bottom are, I would guess, working on a policy of containment so that they can say, after Iran's first successful nuclear detonation, that the U.S. has a plan to deal with Iran. Whether that plan is workable is up to debate; after all, such a plan is theory and has little to do with actually stopping Iran from deploying their weapons. n nOur nation permitted North Korea to obtain nuclear weapons and I suspect that many see Iran through the lens of North Korea. That's a fool's view because North Korea, while a rogue nation and subject to world isolation save for her patron China, does not speak of wiping her neighbors off the map. North Korea has not called any country a cancer to be excised. North Korea is led by men with values contrary to western values, but they are still act to save themselves. n nYet here we are with Iran. A nation whose leaders, political and religious, call the destruction of Israel in no uncertain terms. The world laughs, yawns, and turns a blind eye. Lowly Israel must stand ready to act whether the nations of the world see this peril or not. n nIt used to be said that Israel was the canary in the coal mine, that still seems to be the case.
And Netanyahu get little support from the American Jews. They are more interested in the re-election of 0bama. Go figure!
You are correct. The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle condemned Bibi, accusing him of attempting to influence the American election. American Jews are incomprehensible/
Only my thoughts on North Korea in your comment and I'm not an expert on either Korea. My impressions are some different than yours, so offer them. North Korea seems to threaten South Korea and the U.S. a lot — even to launching a missile in the direction of the United States. And they were nearly entirely obliterated by the U.S. once and only exist because China came to their rescue against the U.S. (or because China feared MacArthur's intentions when he rolled up North Korea all the way to the Chinese border). The impression I have is that North Korea is not allowed to cross China, like drawing it into a conflict they do not wish, and that all of North Korea's posturing is only that of a nasty little dog growling and spitting at the end of a very short lease … for now.
I don't disagree with your assessment. While we let North Korea build nuclear bombs, and they are a "nasty little dog growling" they have some sense of their limits and will not go as far as to bomb South Korea. Is China holding them back? Probably so. Maybe they want re-unification and there is little left to unify after a nuclear attack. Still, North Korea with a bomb is a very bad situation. But it's not as bad as a country with nuclear weapons who openly calls for the destruction of another nation and shows its willingness to pursue that course.
Excellent observations. I would add that unlike N. Korea, Iran is not restrained by a vitally needed patron state.
I have to say it's been really fascinating the see the coverage of this issue over the past few months; while the press, in recent years at least, has not been particularly sympathetic to Israel, the way it has turned on Netanyahu when faced with the possibility that he might harm Obama's election chances has been astonishing to behold. n nOn the one hand, you have a world leader who doesn't want to deal with an issue because it might negatively impact his re-election chances, on the other, you have a world leader whose people not too long ago experienced an attempted genocide and now face another possible one, practically begging the world in general and America in particular to do something to prevent a war…and it's the guy who can't be bothered with the issue who gets the glowing press. And Netanyahu is presented as somehow evilly trying to influence our election. It's so odd but also fascinating.
Not fascinating, but disgusting. You need a free press, among many other things, to have freedom and democracy. We do not have a free press in the US.
Of course, you're right. I meant fascinating in the sense of watching a car wreck.
You got that right!
When Iran gets the Bomb, the Palestinians will suddenly become very relevant. That's why even most Jews hope that Iran is launch ready sooner rather than later. Netanyahu is Hitler and must be stopped.
Dangerous fool anti-Semitic insanity here.
Wow! You're anti Semitic rhetoric or should we say hate speech is trouble some.
Ross, is there a lie so vile that you would be unwilling to tell it? So far, we have not seen any proof that there is.
No doubt that in the 30's you would have exonerated Hitler and called Churchill the villain warmonger.
What? Rotate the tin foil hat twenty degrees to the north-west. Maybe reception is better.
I am afraid that Israel will go it alone and it will probably be sooner, rather than later.
He is a grea leader, Bibi Netanyahu. And look what we have, a self centered, narcisstic incompetent who describes himself as "eye candy" on The View. nDisgusting and Frightening.
And who with no hesitation will lie straight-faced and repeatedly if it suits his political advantage.
Is it possible his timetable is meant to mislead Iran for the present?
That is my hope. Israel wouldn't want to keep saying they will attack before an attack and would want to calm things. That said, I felt that when Bibi got more rowdy over the last month, that was a sign that he was bluffing. If he wasn't he would have calmly realized Obama didnt have his back and acted accordingly. Instead he seemed to get upset that they didn't take his threat seriously enough as his threat is all he had. Anyway, we'll find out eventually.
If Israel were willing to attack Iran before now they would have–it's tautological but a warning against the prophecies of attacks to come that will flash across the media screens in the near future. They aren't there yet. When Iran gets closer to the bomb going kaboom….
A vote for Obama is a vote for the destruction of Israel, the Jewish people and after that the whole West.
I wonder if Israel must attack with nuclear tipped missiles for assured destruction in iran?
A red line would be appropriate for the US to draw. Israel should not be drawing red lines. Israel should strike when it thinks appropriate.
Obama will try to extract from Israel as much as he can before considering any serious action against Iran.