Friday, March 2, 2012

Netanyahu And Obama Play "High-Stakes" Poker

This one comes from Haaretz:


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming trip to Washington will be the most important one in his long career as ambassador, politician and national leader. On Monday, Netanyahu will meet President Barack Obama in the White House for a game of diplomatic poker, where the greatest gamble of all will be right on the table: an attack on Iran's nuclear installations.

Netanyahu would prefer to see the American superpower, with its vast range of military capabilities, pulverize Iran's nuclear project. For his part, Obama would prefer, if an attack must be launched, that the job be done by Israel, while the United States would serve as the "responsible adult" who comes in afterward to make order in the Middle East.

The combination of threatening declarations and briefings, especially from Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and long-range training missions conducted by the Israel Air Force has shown the world that Israel means business. That is the reason for the flurry of visits by senior U.S. administration officials, who have been coming here and asking Israel to "give the sanctions a chance."

The recent behavior of Iran - which has accelerated its nuclear development program despite the imposition of tougher sanctions, the assassination of Iranian scientists, and the threats of war - only strengthens the credibility of the Israeli message that time is running out and that the window of opportunity for taking action is about to close

Benjamin Netanyahu now returns to Washington from a position of strength: Both the politicians and the media in America seem to be focusing their attention almost exclusively on Iran, while Obama is fighting to be reelected and needs the American Jewish community's support.

Lest anyone be mistaken or confused, it must be reiterated that the contacts between Netanyahu and Obama are devoid of warmth, mutual esteem and credibility. Whereas the president sees the premier as a liar who uses subversive tactics, shamelessly meddles in American politics and is encouraging the Republican campaign to topple him - Netanyahu sees Obama as a spineless left-winger whose fantasies about world peace are threatening Israel with the prospect of a second Holocaust, should Iran be allowed to realize its nuclear ambitions and arm itself with a bomb.


Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will press U.S. President Barack Obama for an explicit threat of military action against Iran if sanctions fail and Tehran's nuclear program advances beyond specified “red lines,” it was reported on Thursday.

The report quoted diplomats as having said that Israel is angered by the Obama administration's public disparaging of early military action against Iran, saying that it weakens the prospect of Tehran taking the warnings from Israel seriously.

While the two sides are attempting to agree on a joint public statement to paper over the divide, the Guardian noted, the talks will not be made easier by a deepening distrust in which the Israelis question Obama's commitment to confront Iran.

One diplomatic source was quoted as having told the Guardian that Netanyahu and Obama “are poles apart.”

Israeli officials, the Guardian reported, say that Netanyahu is not happy with Obama's “vague assertion” that all options are on the table in dealing with Iran. Netanyahu wants Obama to state unequivocally that Washington is prepared to use force if Iran's nuclear program advances beyond specified red lines, they said.


These two paragraphs below tell the whole story:


The view from Jerusalem: For 15 years we've been warning them about the Iranian bomb. For 10 years we've been giving them solid evidence. But they ignore us and refuse to budge. They tell us we're Masada-obsessed wackos who haven't recovered from the trauma of Auschwitz. They tell us they're loyal and intelligent and can be trusted. But the facts prove they cannot be trusted. They were wrong in Pakistan and wrong in North Korea and wrong in Osirak. They have betrayed every friend they had in the Middle East. When it transpires they were wrong about Iran as well, they will throw us into the garbage bin of history. But we're no suckers. We know the game and we will disrupt it - we'll preempt them. Instead of withering at their convenience, we'll strike at our convenience.


The view from Washington: The name of the game is "alibi."
But we have to go through the motions for the sake of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Emirates. We have to go through the motions for Israel and the Jewish community. We've got to win in November. So we're putting on a show that Broadway can only dream of - make-believe warnings, make-believe sanctions, a make-believe military option. Make-believe unlimited support for the Jewish state and moderate Arab state. But after November we're getting rid of the props, dispersing the band and returning the costumes to the storeroom. We'll close some deal with the ayatollahs. We'll get a promise from Ali Khamenei not to set off the first nuclear explosion before 2016. This will ensure that during the second term both the American economy and Iranian centrifuges will be moving full steam ahead. And when the world finds out we were wrong and misled it, we'll say, oops, mistake. We tried, we really did. We have an alibi. Our hands did not enrich that uranium. Really, our heart aches for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Emirates and Israel. The thought of Israel, especially, floods our Democratic heart with compassion.

Also see:









7 comments:

Alice said...

So....what do we think about Andrew Breitbart's passing? I wasn't aware that he was getting ready to reveal damning evidence against o bummer. I sure hope someone - one of his trusted employees - knows where these "videos" are now!

But wow...the timing of his death...what a coinky-dink...or is it?

http://www.infowars.com/breitbart-wait-til-they-see-what-happens-march-1st/

Caver said...

Wow Alice! That is interesting.

He died early morning the day he was to release the videos on Obama.

Quoting from the link is suspicious enough...

"...the cause of Breitbart’s death was hastily reported to be of “natural causes,”..."

"...the Los Angeles County coroner’s office have refused to confirm anything until an autopsy has been performed..."

But this is downright weird. Everybody reported he was rushed to Ronald Reagan....except the medical center.

"reported that Breitbart was rushed to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, when Lawrence Sinclair called the hospital, they denied that anyone by that name had been admitted within the previous 72 hours..."

Geepers, everything remotely associated with Obama is getting a very repulsive and dangerous aroma.

Helen said...

Alice, I just heard that Hannity will show them one day next week.

Helen

Anonymous said...

I have JUST received the new EWI report. They are EXTREMELY BEARISH.

The place to be is in cash, and CASH ONLY....no stocks no commodities
INCLUDING gold or silver should be
in ANY investors portfolio....at this
time...

THIS IS VERY SERIOUS >>>>>

The dollar is starting to RALLY again. In fact, big over the last
few days, so THAT is where it is
safe, IN CASH.

THIS world has way too much debt.
The ONLY way out will be debt liquidation.....according to EWI.

I noticed AGAIN problems with the
DOW transports, down 50 + with the
DOW down a lousy 3 pts ???

GIVE me a break...

that is BIG divergence and has been
going on since early FEB 2012.

AAPL at another RECORD close high...gee...speculation AGAIN
never dies ??

oh, but it will....

If Davy Jones and Whitney Houston
can die, so can SPECULATION by bulls. No question about it.

The MOMENT OF TRUTH is coming
for bulls, really soon.

Stephen >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Anonymous said...

BTW, re now and 2016 ??

that's a joke if the USA thinks
they can hold things up that long.

Prechter at EWI is very clear....

There will be a major LOW in stocks
in 2016, possibly UNDER Dow 1000.
and a DEPRESSION as well.

Stephen >>>>>>>>>>>>

Alice said...

Good to know, Helen! Thanks!

Ditto, Caver! It all really smells of something rotten.....

Anonymous said...

I think I figured this out, I hope I am not wrong.....I think Israel
has been LEFT all alone to do
what they need to do, they have
been deserted, cast aside....

And Iran already talks ABOUT THIS
secret weapon they have ??

What is that all about ???

They have the bomb, must be, and
OF COURSE they will NOT admit
that.....it would RUIN their
element of surprise....

I am LOOKING for the first 200+ pt
drop in the DOW, then look out
after that >>>>>

Stephen >>>>>>>>>>>>