Joe Cirincione – President of Ploughshares Fund is a Koolaid drinker, and he’s wearing blinders. He believes that Obama’s response at the G20 to Iran’s President Ahmadinejad is that of a “master strategist… carefully positioning pieces on the board, laying a trap, and springing it at the opportune moment.”
Joe writes beautifully but he writes about fantasy – not fact. He believes that Obama is a deep thinker, and that he “knew” nine months ago about Iran’s secret uranium factory. ‘Knowing’ this about Iran, Cirincione claims, is the very reason Obama extended his hand in friendship to the President of Iran.
Cirincione states, “The obvious solution is for Iran to agree to intrusive inspections. Let the IAEA inspectors into all sites; give them access to all records; give them access to all scientists. If possible, we want a suspension of the program–both construction and operations.”
Sure…Joe, because ‘intrusive inspections ‘ were was so effective and simple in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was President. Joe really believes it is as straightforward as knocking on the door and being invited in. The state of Iran will not ‘give’ any of these things to the UN or to the US. These ‘things’ will be taken through aggression, not through agreement. I seem to recall the absolute failure of UN Weapons Inspectors and their lack of influence on Saddam Hussein.
Senator Obama made promises during the campaign that he would sit down with Ahmadinejad, without pre-conditions. Obama wishes to sit down with a madman that wants to exterminate the state of Israel by wiping them off the map. As an inexperienced President, Obama still uses words about how to handle Iran – not action. His passivity toward Ahmadinejad can only be perceived as someone that is in agreement about wiping out Israel. The ‘discovery’ of Iran’s nuclear weapons facility just put Obama in ‘check mate’, and the game is over.
The ‘opportune moment’ to deal with this information was nine months ago. However, Obama has become known as a man of no words when there is a real crisis. He will only speak out if he doesn’t have all the facts, and if he can demean someone publicly, and later invite them over for a beer. President Obama is not the first or last President to be lied to by the Iranian government. Iran has lied to the world about plutonium enrichment for the last 20 years. The development of a nuclear arsenal is not a new goal for Ahmadinejad – it is a quest, and Obama does not have the power to slow or stop the progress.
You cannot reason with a man that thinks the Holocaust is a lie. You cannot reason with a man whose mission is to annihilate the Jews from Israel. You cannot reasonably restrict trade into and out of Iran and expect nuclear progress to stop. Trade embargos will only hurt the people of Iran, but will have no affect on Ahmadinejad.
Hillary Clinton wants to apply “crippling sanctions” to the state of Iran. Their economy is in shambles, the people are struggling, and the state is in no position to help them, yet our Secretary of State wants to cause Iranian citizens additional pain? At what cost to the people of Iran, Madame Secretary? At what cost?
Obama thought that direct talks with a terrorist leader would be a good idea. The United States of America does not have such talks. We take action, well we used to take action. However, Obama is dragging out the Iraq War and is paralyzed about next steps for Afghanistan. He spends all his time and effort on a health care plan that nobody wants. AND, he plans to punish those who refuse the government option with a $1,900 fine or jail. This is Obama’s idea of “pre-condition”. The reason he refuses to have pre-condition with Iran is because he lacks a spine.
Where is Obama’s ‘Reaganesque-like’ speech? Where is his threat to Iran? I dare him to say to the President of Iran, “Mr. Ahmadinejad. Tear down your nuclear facilities. Unclench your fist.”
The good news is that Obama is a one-term President. The bad news is that by the time he leaves office, Iran and North Korea’s nuclear programs will have advanced a few steps.
Talking to the President of Iran is not action. The words used involve no structure, no control, no personal cost, no consequence. Obama believes that through sheer charisma, that he can force Ahmadinejad to stop his nuclear program.
If President Obama has known for nine months that Iran was building a nuclear weapons facility and failed to share that information then he is complicit. There should be a consequence for complicit behavior.
Obama’s speech at the UN included this statement, “The United States does Israel no favors when we fail to couple an unwavering commitment to its security with an insistence that Israel respect the legitimate claims and rights of the Palestinians.” Obama is not pro-Israel, but clearly he has an eye out for the Palestinians, and for their ‘safety’. However, the Palestinians allowed the terrorist group Hamas into power, and they are now used as human shields in their own homes, schools and hospitals.
This is what happens when you ‘extend your hand’ to terrorists. This is what happens when there are no pre-conditions.
The ‘trap’ Cirincione refers to was not laid by Obama. The trap is a sophisticated nuclear program, built by a madman to annihilate the state of Israel, the United States, and many others. Tragically, Cirincione also believes that Obama has now backed Iran into a corner. Iran is not in a corner, and that is either a statement of ignorance or madness. Joe Circincione should step away from the Koolaid.
Failing to meet with pre-conditions is like hand feeding an alligator, and it is careless. At some point, the gator will want to see if the hand is as weak as the dead chicken being dropped into its open mouth. Ahmadinejad, the alligator patiently waits for its next hand-fed meal from Obama.
Ahmadinejad knows that Obama’s extended hand is weak. He knows there is no strength in the arm or in the spine. And he waits.
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