Biden's Prognostication: Obama will be internationally-tested, Episode No. 374

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

The primary imperative for the United States and President Barack Obama is to put an end to Iran’s nuclear race, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said before his swearing-in Tuesday, adding that if the US failed to do so Israel might be forced to resort to a military strike on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear installations.

“The Obama presidency has two great missions: fixing the economy, and preventing Iran from gaining nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu told The Atlantic. The Iranian drive for a nuclear weapon was a “hinge of history,” he said, emphasizing that all of “Western civilization” was responsible for preventing an Iranian bomb. …

Netanyahu suggested that Israeli preemptive strikes against perceived threats were the result of the Jewish people learning from a long history of grappling against those who threatened their collective existence. He cited Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s repeated calls to “wipe Israel off the map,” as well as a recent remark by the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to the effect that Israel was a “cancerous tumor.”

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1238562879456&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

This story has been out for a few days and it has DU in its typical anti-semitic lather, but Ed Morrissey at hotair.com has a very salient point:

It sounds as though Israel will only give a very short window for the US to take effective action before Netanyahu acts on his own.  If he does so, it will put Obama on the spot; will he back the traditional American ally, or will he side with the country that hid its nuclear program for years and supports international terror through Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iraqi insurgents?  Either way, an Israeli action will make Obama look impotent on the world stage.  Netanyahu is clearly sending a signal for Obama to avoid looking emasculated.

I would add that if Obama strikes Iran first he has the benefit of controlling the tempo, targetting and duration of the attacks. If he cedes the perogative to Israel he has no such control because Israel already knows--and an Obama concession will cement the notion--that the idiot leftist is abandoning Israel to possible genocide.

Will Obama take his marching orders or will he sit idly by as he alienates a crucial ally, a major US voting bloc and sits helpless as a regional war drags him in where he could have held the controlling hand?

[dutch508]

...even if barry does take action, it would be limited to the "clinton missile strikes" and strangely-worded missives of hillery.

Israel will act to protect Israel. barry will act to protect his poll numbers.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

...even if barry does take action, it would be limited to the "clinton missile strikes" and strangely-worded missives of hillery.

Israel will act to protect Israel. barry will act to protect his poll numbers.

I dunno. Starting a war is one thing, stopping it is another. Iran has the material means and the necessity of prestige to strike back unlike Sudan or Afghanistan c. 1998. Iran would have to retaliate or be seen both internally and externally as impotent and that would be doom for their state control and foreign agenda.

I dunno if they would mine the Straits of Hormuz, lob Exocets at passing merchant freighters, go up-tempo in BASRA or what but they would have to do something which would require response on L'il 'O's part if he doesn't want his poll numbers nad congressional support to plummet at such crucial times.

This is the problem with socially ambitious pols: in order to gain their agenda they have to curry favor to forces beyond their control. It is a paradox that the more power you seek the more external variables can exert influence on you. If Obama had no interest in subsidizing the UAW, enacting UHC, and every other idiotic idea he wouldn't have to be beholden to the Blue Dogs and the general public's hatred of Iran and love of Israel. Contentment = freedom and Mr Obama is VERY discontented.

[Eupher]

Netanyahu's a hothead, always has been, but he's not stupid.

Israel, due to the leftist media, in short order began to take a beating on the recent Gaza war. It didn't take long before the Israelis started backing away.

Any preemptive action taken by Netanyahu will NOT be seen as Israel defending its territory. The leftist media will see to that. They will broadcast and demonize Israel/Netanyahu as being the ultimate bullies who more than willing to risk a major blowout in the ME because of "suspected" nuclear development done for "peaceful" purposes.

The U.N. in all its impotence, will rear its ugly head again and before you know it, Israel's standing there like the cat that swallowed the canary.

I think Netanyahu will play it safe. For now.

Next year at this time, all bets are off.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Netanyahu's a hothead, always has been, but he's not stupid.

Israel, due to the leftist media, in short order began to take a beating on the recent Gaza war. It didn't take long before the Israelis started backing away.

Any preemptive action taken by Netanyahu will NOT be seen as Israel defending its territory. The leftist media will see to that. They will broadcast and demonize Israel/Netanyahu as being the ultimate bullies who more than willing to risk a major blowout in the ME because of "suspected" nuclear development done for "peaceful" purposes.

The U.N. in all its impotence, will rear its ugly head again and before you know it, Israel's standing there like the cat that swallowed the canary.

I think Netanyahu will play it safe. For now.

Next year at this time, all bets are off.

Israel could hand-out candy to the little baby sand-rats and the UN and MSM would scream the Jews are promoting tooth decay in hapless Philistine children. Israel's need--and acceptable margin--for paying attention to foreign opinion is rapidly coming to a close as this is no longer an issue of a few thousand poorly aimed, minor yield rockets but a nuclear weapon vs a nation only 15 miles wide in some parts.

If they allow the world to dally Iran may strike and then Israel is obligated to kill 20 million Iranians in response. What would THAT do for world opinion?

[dutch508]

Israel could hand-out candy to the little baby sand-rats and the UN and MSM would scream the Jews are promoting tooth decay in hapless Philistine children. Israel's need--and acceptable margin--for paying attention to foreign opinion is rapidly coming to a close as this is no longer an issue of a few thousand poorly aimed, minor yield rockets but a nuclear weapon vs a nation only 15 miles wide in some parts.

If they allow the world to dally Iran may strike and then Israel is obligated to kill 20 million Iranians in response. What would THAT do for world opinion?

His brother, Yanni, was killed during the Entebbi raid. I don't think he gives a rat's ass what the US thinks anymore.

[JohnnyReb]

Obama will be internationally-tested, .....and he'll get a failing grade.

[Karin]

Yes, Reb, because this is waaaaaaaaaayyy over his head.  No easy-out, no good crystal ball.  A competent grown-up would be nice here, like Reagan.

[Eupher]

His brother, Yanni, was killed during the Entebbi raid. I don't think he gives a rat's ass what the US thinks anymore.

Entebbe happened in 1976. Netanyahu was singin' out of Slick Willie's microphone when he was PM during the Klintoon era.

He gave a rat's ass then. And while there's no question that Benjy is a stand-up guy and does not pull punches, I stand by my statement that there will be no first strike by Israel on Iran. A response to an attack? You bet. The gloves come off at that point.

But playing the nuke card is not one that even Netanyahu will do unless Iran does something of an equivalent nature. And the last I heard, despite the bloviating, Iran still doesn't quite have the technology yet.

As long as Israel keeps away from the first strike, they've got Iran by the short curlies.

Obama isn't going to do shit about Iran - he doesn't have a clue what to do, so he'll do nothing.

So despite Benjy's bloviating, he'll be smart if he resorts to rhetoric rather that resorting to turning the key.