Posted on 01/14/2012 9:20:01 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
WASHINGTON—U.S. defense leaders are increasingly concerned that Israel is preparing to take military action against Iran, over U.S. objections, and have stepped up contingency planning to safeguard U.S. facilities in the region in case of a conflict.
President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other top officials have delivered a string of private messages to Israeli leaders warning about the dire consequences of a strike. The U.S. wants Israel to give more time for the effects of sanctions and other measures intended to force Iran to abandon its perceived efforts to build nuclear weapons.
Stepping up the pressure, Mr. Obama spoke by telephone on Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and U.S. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will meet with Israeli military officials in Tel Aviv next week.
The high-stakes planning and diplomacy comes as U.S. officials warn Tehran, including through what administration officials described Friday as direct messages to Iran's leaders, against provocative actions.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
H/T to the Drudge Report.
Bibi ought to tell Hussein to shove it.
Has Hillary sent a stern warning letter yet? followed by a phone call, I am sure Bibi is shaking in his boots...
“Hey, Obama, you capisce Yiddish? Vaffanculo!”
Jeesh. Poor Bambi hasn’t even had time to finish surrendering to the Taliban and now he has to take time out of his heavy schedule to surrender to Iran.
FK Obama, Hit ‘em hard IDF!
Insults, taunts and threats between Israel and Iran have been heating up in recent months:
The best response is “I hear you.” and nothing more.
Why should we wait for Sanctions to work?
They have worked so well so far.
Israel’s survival is at stake so why should they listen to 0. Oh Dear, the same applies to us.
Israel needs to use a lone stealth plane with a bunker buster nuke. Create a little nuclear accident.... Those careless Iranians must have just connected the wrong wire.
Having to deal with a war between Israel and Iran would upset those plans, and worse for him, force him to make critical military decisions in a crisis atmosphere.
Nothing would showcase his monumental ineptitude, his dithering and prevaricating, and his pathetic grasp of foreign policy, diplomacy and military strategy than having to deal with a crisis like this, which would be the most serious of his presidency.
There's nothing he's more afraid of than this. And what's worse, US public opinion would force him to come to Israel's aid, which is entirely against his lefty, crypto-Muslim preferences. But trying to squirm out of it would expose him to huge pressures, and even his friends in the MSM, try as they might, could not spin this for him.
It's a huge lose-lose for him.
No doubt there are contingency plans for US forces to interdict Israeli forces - to "prevent escalation of the conflict with Iran".
Many plans are made. Few actually get executed.
The key question is whether Obama will have time and support enough to order any actions before the Israeli or the Iranian first strike. And then of course, which contingency plan will he order?
I think Vice-President Biden has already given us a clue.
Bammy’s just quivering with anticipation for the time he can watch Israel get “wiped off the face of the map”, and he can officially bow to apologize for all that the US has down around the world.
What about the consequences of no action? (rhetorical)
RE: “Mutual Contempt”. Looks like the Kenyan follows closely in the foot steps of Yimmity Cata, to the hilt.
Perceived efforts? More time for sanctions? Anyone smarter than a turnip knows that Iran is building nukes and would probably already have them and have used them if they had not had such bad luck with traffic accidents and work-related incidents.
Who is killing Iran's nuclear scientists? "Iranian scientist working at a key nuclear facility . . . magnetic bomb was attached to his car by two assailants on a motorcycle . . . fourth assassination of a scientist involved in Iran's nuclear program since early 2010 . . . A sixth key figure in Iran's military program, Maj. Gen. Hassan Moghaddam, an Iranian missile expert who was charged with "ensuring self-sufficiency" in armaments, was killed in November in a huge explosion at the Bid Ganeh base outside Tehran. Iranian officials have called that explosion, and another at a nuclear facility in Isfahan, accidents . . . damage caused by Stuxnet . . ."
I just hope and pray that Israel will continue to ignore any American advice that would put their entire population in immediate danger of mass murder.
Iran’s “...perceived efforts to build nuclear weapons.” Perceived?? When an Islamic, carbon energy rich nation that burns natural gas off at the wellhead in amounts that would heat Germany builds nuclear reactors, enriches uranium to weapons grade levels in secret complexes and announces it hates America and the west, what makes it a perception? I’d say it’s a dead certainty.
What makes Obama & co. think we can scold Israel for taking steps to protect the safety of Israeli citizens and the national survival of their land? Obama won’t even shake a finger to scold Iran or maintain US security.
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