Reuters file
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listens during a joint news conference with his Bulgarian counterpart Boiko Borisov (not pictured) in Jerusalem September 11, 2012.
Hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the U.S. and Israel need to draw a clear line in the sand with Iran—and insisted such comments have nothing to do with the quickly approaching U.S. elections.
He insisted that Iran is now six months away from having 90% of the enriched uranium that would be needed to create a nuclear bomb.
"I think that you have to place that red line before them now, before it's too late," Netanyahu told David Gregory on NBC's Meet the Press.
When asked if Tehran had already crossed the line, the Israeli leader said, "They're in the red zone. You know, they're in the last 20 yards. and you can't let them cross that goal line. You can't let them score a touchdown."
The Obama administration wants more time to try non-military options—such as diplomacy and sanctions—which it hopes will force Tehran to stop its suspected nuclear work. But Netanyahu has repeatedly said Iran is close to acquiring a nuclear bomb.
Earlier this week, he criticized Washington’s policy, saying the U.S. had failed to set "red lines" and make clear what would provoke a violent response against Iran.
Netanyahu has long been friendly with Mitt Romney, ever since their days working at the Boston Consulting Group in the 1970s. Obama, meanwhile, has long had a prickly relationship with the Israeli leader, publicly illustrated last year when Obama was caught on a hot mic telling then-French President Nikolas Sarkozy, "You're fed up with him, but I have to deal with him even more often than you."
Considering Netanyahu’s personal relationships with both Obama and Romney, plus Romney’s more hawkish rhetoric on Iran, many analysts believe Netanyahu is actively lobbying for a Romney presidency, something the Israeli leader denied.
"I'm not going to be drawn into the American election," he told Gregory. "What's guiding my statements isn't the American political calendar but the Iranian nuclear calendar."
"We cherish the bipartisan support for Israel in the United States…This is not an electoral issue. It is not based on any electoral consideration," he added to CNN's Candy Crowley.
When Crowley suggested Iran could legitimately be seeking peaceful purposes for enriching uranium, Netanyahu replied scornfully. "You think so Candy?...This is a country that denies the Holocaust, promises to wipe out Israel, is engaging terror throughout the world," he said. "It's like Timothy McVeigh walking into a shop in Oklahoma City and saying, 'I’d like to turn my garden, I’d like to buy some fertilizer. How much do you want? Oh I don’t know, 20,000 pounds.' Come on, we know they are working toward a weapon.”
In an interview on Sunday's Meet the Press, Netanyahu also insisted that a policy of containment for Iran would not work because the country is guided by a "leadership with an unbelievable fanaticism."
Meanwhile, in a separate interview on the same program, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told host David Gregory that America will take no option, including a military one, off the table for ensuring that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.
However, "they're not there yet," she said. "There is time and space for the pressure we are mounting, which is unprecedented in terms of sanctions, to still yield results."
Rice said the sanctions would reach their "high point" in July. Meanwhile, she said, the Iranian economy is suffering, the country's oil production is plummeting and its currency is dropping.
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Umm, I think you're being untruthful, Bibi, and also revealing your utter ignorance of your preferred candidate, Bishop Romney, who has the courage of a flea...
i really can't stand the theocratic nonsense coming out of Teheran but there is an obvious reason for it, thanks to the UK & the US in the decades before the 1970s.
Same thing probably applies to most countries in the Middle-East. Most people are as critical about their rulers as in the West but the latter do not face a gallows if they disagree with the government's view. Netanyahu has a lot in common with most Arab rulers in his hot-headedness and ultra-partisanship. He most certainly is appealing to the worst most belligerent voices in the West &, I hope, most Americans can see that, so close to the elections in November.
Netanyahu had the nerve to say the protest and hate we're seeing in all these countries used the anti-Islamic movie as a spark to really express their real anger "at the U.S. and Israel by extension". It's an infuriating stretch but he did say that. Poor Israel, hated because they support us. This was while he's making his case for us to jump up and be stupid because he wants to give Iran a deadline suddenly and certainly during this election period, but he's not trying to influence our politics . . . . How much do we have to take from this opportunist? He stated "Israel reserves its right to act on its own" and hopefully his isn't the last word here or in his country but if it is I hope we let them go on their own. His own security and government who deal with this country don't support his emergency and red line. They too support continuing the sanctions, even learning to interact with the youth and students of Iran to create a future and better climate (unfortunately thugs like himself and godless individuals like Romney and Shedon Adelson won't ever allow that to happen). Mr. Netenayahu insulted us tonight on Meet the Press stating the people of Israel are endanged "by extention" to the U.S. who is really the hated nation. My guess is there are no Israeli embassies or consulates in its neighboring countries or that's where the protests would be of course.
Romney's lack of character and moral weakness is exactly why hawkish rightwingers find him such an attractive candidate. He'd be putty in their hands. Also, he and Netanyahu are good friends and past business partners (possibly still are). If he wins, we'd be at war with Iran, and possibly Russia and China too. If not those last two in actuality, then by proxy. And the only improvement in the economy would be for war profiteers like Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al. And, of course, they'd throw Romney a bone as long as he's in office and continued to do their bidding.
I re-post this because it is pertinent to this topic from a previous thread about Joe Klein and the topic of Netanyahu insisting on American support for an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. We need to tell Netanyahu to shut up and let diplomacy, economic sanctions, and military containment do their work overtime.
The reason no one messes with Iran is that they are a very powerful country. If the Iranians used asymmetrical tactics: ballistic missiles, urban guerrilla warfare tactics, regional terrorism, cruise missile and mining attacks on Persian Gulf oil tanker traffic, and other types of terror tactics such as suicide bombings, they could inflict enormous damage very quickly in the Persian Gulf region. Oil would quickly go to $200 per barrel or perhaps even higher. $10 per gallon of fuel would send America's economy into another Great Depression II. Say whatever you want this is the reason no American President or admiral or general on the Joint Chiefs of Staff want to attack Iran. Iran can absorb the bombing raids damage, reconstitute its nuclear program, and basically destroy the oil dependent economy. Iran would win this scenario and America would lose because 20% of the world's oil goes through the Straits of Hormuz. If this gets interrupted or cut off the U.S. economy will wither away under another Great Depression caused by $200 per barrel oil. These are the facts, Iran has America over a barrel both literally and figuratively. Let's solve this nuclear dispute with Iran by containment, sanctions, and diplomacy through the United Nations and our NATO allies. We can do this because its the only option available to us. To militarily attack Iran is to commit national economic suicide for the U.S. period.
This article predicts $150 per barrel oil if Israel attacks Iran:
http: //www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/oil-prices-could-hit-150-a-barrel-if-israel-attacks-iran/article549481/
This article from Haartez, says oil prices will soar if Israel attacks Iran:
http: //www.haaretz.com/business/iran-attack-would-drive-up-gasoline-and-electricity-prices-1.458064
An Indian energy expert predicts $200 per barrel oil if Israel strikes Iran:
http: //www.presstv.ir/detail/229463.html
Checkout this article in Barron's where George Friedman is quoted saying that oil could increase to $300 per barrel if Israel attacks Iran. Friedman predicts a long and bloody struggle with Iran that has built up huge conventional military forces and the largest military in the region since the 1980's Iran-Iraq war. Notice the Friedman talks about suicide boat tactics, ballistic missile attacks, seq mining and terrorism all part of the asymmetrical threat posed by Iran:
"But this time around, Friedman thinks that Iran might enjoy more success despite the presence of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in the area and other international naval forces that could be called on. According to Friedman, Iran has conducted naval exercises in the past two months featuring its conventional missile-equipped naval force and flotilla of Republican Guard speedboats that would likely swarm major tankers and opposition naval ships in suicide missions. Iran also has shore-to-ship missile batteries that could exact considerable damage on ships in the Persian Gulf, at least until U.S. air power successfully suppressed them. He would also expect Iran to engage in heavy mining of the strait and also key sea channels in the gulf."
http: //online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424052748703518604577213163331222328.html
Take your pick of $200 per barrel oil, $150 per barrel oil, or even $300 per barrel oil, any war with Iran would be long, hard, with thousands of casualties and a Great Depression II on the home front for the U.S. This is why President Obama is sticking with sanctions, diplomacy, and shunning PM Netanyahu's calls to attack Iran. Iran's nuclear facilities are deep underground in steel reinforced bunkers and caves. It is national suicide for America to attack Iran. President Obama's policy of waiting Iran out with diplomacy, military sales to Persian Gulf allies of $66 billion, and economic sanctions are the only game in town. The critics of President Obama need to come up with a better policy towards Iran. The reality is that all the military options range from awful to horrible to disastrous to counterproductive. We have to wait Iran out with diplomacy and economic sanctions. We have no other choices available.