INTELLIGENCE chief Sir John Scarlett has been told that Saudi Arabia is ready to allow Israel to bomb Iran’s new nuclear site.
The head of MI6 discussed the issue in London with Mossad chief Meir Dagan and Saudi officials after British intelligence officers helped to uncover the plant, in the side of a mountain near the ancient city of Qom.
After the painful spectacle of Obama’s U.N. address, however, no amount of wishful thinking can obscure Israel’s situation. Israel is in this alone. Not only can Obama not be expected to partner with Israel when it comes to dealing with Iran, he cannot be counted on to provide — indeed he is not capable of providing — sound counsel on the matter. And perhaps most importantly, Netanyahu has less to fear from ignoring Obama’s counsel then he would from a formidable, or even just competent, American president.
Thus, Netanyahu must feel less constrained from acting alone, even as he fully realizes that acting along represents the only option for acting.
12. Israel should not be expected to risk another Shoah for the sake of the national interest of any other country.
You know it’s only when we have a Carter in office that Israel sees the need to ask alone. And we’ve got the closest thing to Carter that we ever are going to get.
Andrew Sullivan is convinced that the events of this week involving Iran are all part of a cunning plan:
Is this weakness or is it a different avenue to strength? Politics is always about timing and context. Seeing Obama’s moves without taking into account the Bush-Cheney inheritance is to wear ideological blinkers. Obama’s promise was and is a rebranding of America (which was the primary reason I supported him). If you are an unchastened neocon you see no need to rebrand after Guantanamo, Iraq, Bagram and Abu Ghraib. But if you are capable of absorbing complicated reality, you realise that such a rebranding is essential if America is to dig itself out of the Bush-Cheney ditch and advance its interests by defter means than raw violence and occupation.
It takes a special kind of faith to actually believe this stuff, he clearly has more faith in president Obama than in well his actual faith.
But is Andrew actually smarter than the rest of us? He sure thinks so. But I leave it to you:
Update: Villainous Company reminds us that Andrew had to be persuaded that General McChrystal’s plans were cunning at all.
Judith: They’ve arrested Brian!
All: What? What?
Judith: They dragged him off! They’re gonna crucify him!
Reg: Right! This calls for immediate discussion!
Judith: What?
Sibling: Immediate!
Sibling II: Right!
Loretta: New motion?
Reg: Completely new motion! Uh, that, uh, that there be, uh, immediate action…
Francis: …uh, once the vote has been taken.
Reg: Well, obviously once the vote has been taken resolution the oh —- resolution!
Judith: Reg, let’s go now, please!
Reg: Right, right!In the – in the light of fresh information from sibling Judith…
Loretta: Ehm…not so fast, Reg.
Judith: Reg, for God’s sake! It’s perfectly simple! All you’ve gotta do is to go out of that door now and try to stop the
Romans nailing him up! It’s happening, Reg! Something’s actually happening, Reg! Can’t you understand? Oooh!
Door: [Sound of Closing]
Reg: Yeah, hello. Another little ego trip from the feminists…
Rogers: Hrm.
Loretta: What?
Francis: [Whistle]
Reg: Oh, sorry, Loretta. Uh, read that back, would, you?
Warning Brief nudity totally non rule 5 at the .50-1:10 This stuff starts at 8:59
MSNBC what did we learn:
8:59 a.m. Mika called it a very strong message that’ll show em!
As for Russia, they still see Iran as critical to their economic health, so don’t expect much from Moscow. Earlier this week, they sounded fatalistic about new sanctions, and some wondered if Obama hadn’t worked out some quid pro quo based on the shift on missile defense in eastern Europe. Instead, it looks as though Obama may have shared this intel with Russia, which is probably how Iran found out about it.
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