See Why Israel Doesn't Trust Obama?

See Why Israel Doesn't Trust Obama?

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

Not only has our beloved "Dear Leader," Obama, managed to "PO" Israel even more, he has now "PO'ed" the Baku government of Azerbaijan.   By leaking news, recently,  that Israel and Azerbaijan have reached an agreement for Israeli aircraft to have landing rights at Azeri airbases, Obama has infuriated Israel's Netanyahu government even more and may have compromised Azerbaijan's relations with Iran (shaky as they may be), as well.     

In case you missed it when looking at a map, Azerbaijan is the small country snuggled tightly against the northern border of Iran.  There are roughly sixteen million Azeris (The people of Azerbaijan).

Now here's the thing:  Azerbaijan's government and the Israeli government have become, er, friends.  The only people who are having a problem with this is the Obama Administration in America --  and the Ahmadinejad Administration in Iran. Suddenly, it would seem, the US and Iran are BOTH going after Israel.

We have told you for months and even years that the Netanyahu government in Israel does not trust the Obama administration in the US and that is why the Israelis refuse to give Obama a heads-up on an attack on Iran.  They are convinced (as am I) that the Obama Administration would immediate pick up the phone and call Iran and tell Ahmadinejad  "the Israelis are coming."

Far-fetched, you say?  Believe what you want, but the truth is -- Obama's people have already tipped off Iran that there is a pact of some sort between the Baku government in Azerbaijan and the Netanyahu government in Israel possibly for landing rights for Israeli combat aircraft on Azerbaijan soil.

Israeli attack aircraft cannot make it to Iran, drop their ordinance, and make a return flight to Israel without refueling.  For that reason, an air raid on Iran by Israeli jets has been considered a "suicide mission."  Lack of fuel would not allow Israeli aircraft to loiter over their targets or even fend off attacks by the Iranian air forces. A second run on a target would be compromised by low fuel.

In-flight refueling could solve that problem, IF it could be done over friendly territory, which is sorely lacking in that neighborhood. Damaged aircraft would simply have to be abandoned.  If Israeli pilots chose to bail-out of their foundering jets, it was/is a given they would be captured and killed or languish for years in an enemy prison.  

Those Azerbaijan airbases make perfect refueling bases -- and forward bases for Israeli search and rescue units -- for an air raid on Iran's nuclear facilities, and an emergency landing field for damaged aircraft.  

It is no secret that the American President's favor lies with the Muslim countries of the world.  He has made that abundantly clear since he first entered the office of President of the United States.  And Israel wisely does not trust him.    

"We're watching what Iran does closely," one of the U.S. sources, an intelligence officer engaged in assessing the ramifications of a prospective Israeli attack confirmed. "But we're now watching what Israel is doing in Azerbaijan. And we're not happy about it."  -- This is a quote from an article by Mark Perry at FOREIGN POLICY.COM.   It is an excellent article and we recommend you read the entire piece. (SOURCE)

The Azeris and the Persians tolerate each other -- but just! There are those who fear that IF Azerbaijan does allow Israel to use its airbases for an attack on Iran, Iran might use that as an excuse to reclaim Azerbaijan as a part of the so-called "Mother Persia" and make a military move against their northern neighbor.

And then there is the solidly based concern that Russia may step in and create trouble in Azerbaijan to foil any attempt by Israel to use those Azeri airbases.  With Putin in charge in Russia, it is certainly within the realm of possibility.   Putin's Russia will again be seeking to expand its influence in the Caucasus. 

By and large, the people of America stand with Israel -- even if their President does not. Obama is the most divisive American president since Abraham Lincoln.  You may recall that upon Lincoln's election eleven American states pulled out of the Union.  Many Americans feel the Presidential Election in November of 2012 is every bit as important as the 1860 election, which broke apart the United States.

As Israel and many other countries of the world still look to the United States for assistance and direction, America is roiling in a national controversy to decide if the nation remains a constitutional republic or adopts socialism and dumps the constitution and representative government. The American people's attention is turned inward at this moment in history and that is allowing the mice to come out and play.

When Obama removed America from a leadership role in the world, it opened the door to all sorts of mischief around the globe.  An isolationist America has a history of producing deadly wars, some even global in scope.

Israel, the best friend to America in the Middle East, has been forced to look elsewhere for alliances simply because Obama refuses to maintain America's alliance established almost the moment Israel became a country/ state.  

The point is simple:  Had Obama maintained the long-standing relationship the US had with Israel, then there would have been no need for Israel to seek friends -- and assistance -- elsewhere.  As a result, there is a strong possibility the US will be drawn into a war in the Caucasus -- as well as a war in the Persian Gulf -- when Israel strikes Iran.

There can be no doubt Israel WILL strike Iran.  They have no choice. Otherwise, Israel will be wiped from the map just as Iran has promised so often to do.

If an alliance with Azerbaijan will help Israel destroy the Iranian nuclear facilities, then more power to them.  May the God of Israel bless them and "make straight their "aim."

J. D. Longstreet

Iran’s Leaders WANT War ... by J. D. Longstreet

J. D. Longstreet

Iran’s Leaders WANT War 

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

In order for the twelfth Imam to return to earth and set up a worldwide Caliphate, the world must be in chaos.  Not ought to be, not might be, not close to being, but MUST be in chaos.

The current theocratic leaders of Iran believe that it is incumbent on them to insure that the world is brought to chaos as soon as possible. 

The race in Iran to acquire nuclear weapons is critical to Iran’s obligation to create chaos through war. 

There must be a spark and some now believe that if Israel or the US do not soon ignite the conflagration of war then Iran will strike the US and/or Israel to insure that the chaos of war is soon visited on the world.

The recent passage of two Iranian warships through the Suez Canal sort of tipped Iran’s preemptive hand. Those ships stood off the Israeli coast, then turned and went back through the Canal, most likely to their homeport in Iran.  It was a head fake, if you will.  It was a way of saying:  “See?  We can come within easy missile range of Israeli cities with our naval assets.”  In a confirmation of sorts, Iranian leaders said that they could, and would, take preemptive action against Israel (or the US) if they felt it necessary.

In my opinion, Iranian leaders are under no illusion that they can win a war against Israel or the US and certainly not against BOTH.  But victory is not the point -- and it is certainly not the goal of the Mullahs.  The goal is to START the war.  Once the Middle East is aflame, THEN, and only then, can the twelfth Imam appear to lead the Islamic world to worldwide victory and the establishment of a global Islamic government.

No amount of sanctions will change their minds. Neither fleets of warships nor squadrons of aircraft from the western world, no matter the number; will stop the coming war with Iran. There will be war.  There MUST be war.

The civilized world is dealing with religious fanatics.  That is always bad.

Remember the Japanese military of the 2^nd World War?  Remember what it took to stop those religious fanatics?  Remember the costs in blood?    

At this writing, it seems clear that if Israel does not soon attack Iran, then Iran will attack Israel.

Obama’s diplomats, whether from the US State Department, or the Department of Defense, seem utterly at a lost to understand what is happening in the Middle East today.  To watch those men and woman at work is akin to watching a group of out and out amateurs. 

Obama’s involving America’s top generals in diplomatic missions is embarrassing to the soldiers and to the people of America.  It is an affront to the US military as a whole.  It is also a sign that the Commander-in-Chief hasn’t a clue what he is doing.

Iran has obviously decided that America is more willing to live with an Iran armed with atomic weapons than it is to go to war to prevent it.  Obama’s gutting of the US military and his desire to cut our nuclear arsenal by 80% is evidence that the Iranians are correct in their assessment of the Obama Regime.

Wisely, Israel doesn’t trust the Obama Regime.  How can they?  Obama has shown his distaste for Israel and his favor for the Islamic states quite clearly.  Israel would be foolish to discuss any plans they have for stopping Iran’s nuclear programs with the Obama regime.  Israel’s government is not foolish. 

In the meantime, Iran is basking in the spotlight the world has shone upon them.  They prance, preen, and strut across the world stage, like Bantam roosters, soaking up the attention.  They feel their importance and they don’t mind making spectacles of themselves before the world just to make sure the rest of us understand they (Iran) hold the keys to war and peace.

All the while, the 12^th Imam sits, down in his well, and waits for the chaos necessary to get him out of that hole.  After all the centuries he has spent in the bowels of the earth he is surely impatient.

The dogs of war are straining at their leashes growling, howling, and snapping their drooling jaws at civilization.  At the other end of the leashes is Iran’s mad mullahs hissing the words:  “Sic ‘em.”

J. D. Longstreet

Netanyahu To Present An Ultimatum To Obama

Netanyahu To Present An Ultimatum To Obama
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

Well, maybe Bebe will not read Obama the riot act, per se, but he IS expected to give Obama an ultimatum ... attack Iran, and soon, or we (Israel) will.  

It is no secret that the US President does not particularly like Mr. Netanyahu, nor Israel.  His actions have made it plain that his favor lies with the Islamic states and not the Jewish state of Israel.  So the world should not be surprised if the meeting between the two leaders swings from cold and icy to hot and wrathful in minutes.  In fact, one would be advised to do so.

According to the European papers, an ultimatum present by Netanyahu to Obama would give the US a couple of months within which to act against Iran.  If the US spurns the ultimatum, then all bets are off and Israel will moist certainly take the reins in its teeth and throw its considerable military might at Iran.

Now, here the thing:  If Israel attacks Iran on its own, there is no conceivable way the US can stay on the sidelines of the ensuing war.    Understand this:  if, somehow, Obama does manage to keep US military assets out of the fray between Israel and Iran, then US credibility for supporting its friends will evaporate immediately.  Already, the US has a bit of a reputation as "a flake" when it comes to abiding by the terms of mutual protection agreements.  When an American president makes an agreement with another country, the very next president may well decide that he is not going to abide by that agreement -- making it totally worthless.  Much like promises, treaties are made to be broken.

Recently, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is reported to have said the US can't be counted on to come to Israel's aid.  Lieberman noted that the US has, so far, refused to intervene in Syria to protect Syrian civilians against their dictator President Bashar Assad’s murderous rampage.  While I don't agree with Mr. Lieberman's implication that America should intervene in Syria, I understand his frustration with Obama's foot dragging on a decision to aid Israel with the Iran threat.

To say there is a VERY strained relationship between America and Israel is just plain wrong.  It is WRONG to blame  AMERICA when the strained relationship is NOT between America and Israel, but between Obama and Israel!  The American people are four-square behind Israel.  It is the American President, Obama, who created the distance between these two friends.  That MUST be understood before one can grasp the depth of the frustration the American people feel concerning the Obama Administration's shunning of our best friend , heck, our ONLY friend in the Middle East.

For those of us who follow the wicked game of politics, it is clear that Obama will do darned near anything to avoid involvement in another shooting war -- ANY WHERE -- before the November elections.  But fate has a way of making fools of all of us. There is an expression that covers if very well:  "Men making plans makes God laugh."   I am paraphrasing, of course, but I'm sure you get the drift.

My point is -- Obama may sit and twiddle his thumbs if he chooses, but when the balloon goes up -- America will be at war whether he likes it, or wants it, or not.

Yes, the American people ARE war weary.  But, we understand we have an obligation to help our friend, Israel, when its very existence is threatened.  Too, the Obama Administration doesn't seem to grasp that when Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, the US is target number two. By assisting Israel we will be helping ourselves.

This week, more heat will be brought to bear on Obama's reluctance to stand with Israel. Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney will address the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) convention this week. President Obama, Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres also will speak. You can bet sparks will fly.

Look.  Netanyahu is a former Israeli Special Forces warrior ... a heck of a soldier.  Soldiers are the last to want to go to war -- but -- they are the first to know when war is inevitable.  Mr. Obama, on the other hand has no military experience... none.  In my opinion, Mr. Obama should consider, and consider seriously, Mr. Netanyahu's assessment of the situation with Iran.

More than ever before, the Media from around the world has focused on the meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) this week.  For good reason.  News will be made this week.  Decisions could also be made this week, as an off-shoot of the AIPAC meeting, that could very well affect the entire world. 

There can be no question that when the Israeli/America ~vs~ Iran war begins, the flow of oil out of the Persian Gulf states will become rather "iffy" instantly. That, alone, will have a huge effect on the world's teetering economy.  Having said that, we must understand that the time is fast approaching when the world must "bite the bullet," and endure the pain necessary to rid the world of a threat that is, in itself, a nightmare.

There is no easy answer to the Iranian question.  It is impossible to negotiate with those who will not negotiate.  Obama's flowery oratory is trumped by legendary  Persian hyperbole. Thus -- an impasse.

And, yes, there is a history of nasty business between Iran and the Jews of Israel.  The scars still smart.

Before Iran was renamed Iran it was Persia.  The rift between the Jews and the Persians is not new  It goes back many centuries.  It is important to note the word "Iran" means "Aryan."  The name of the country "Iran" means "Land of the Aryans"; the Iranians consider themselves the original Aryans (Yes, if you were wondering, the same Aryan Race that the White Supremacists and the Nazis speak about). Over 500 years before the birth of Christ King Darius referred to himself as "Darius the Great": There is an ancient inscription, dating back to at least 504 BC, in which King Darius said: "I am Darius, the great king... Persian, the son of a Persian; Aryan, from the Aryan race."

The name changed in 1935.  The suggestion for the name change from Persia to Iran is said to have come from the Persian ambassador to Germany, who was a Nazi sympathizer.  You may recall that in 1935 Germany was ruled by Hitler. Aryanism was equated by the Nazis as the highest level of human civilization.  The Persian ambassador was persuaded by his Nazi friends that Persia would be better off as an ally of Nazi Germany.  The Persian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent out a memo to all foreign embassies in Tehran, requesting that the country be called "Iran."  You may check the source here:

http://www.payvand.com/news/04/dec/1153.html

You may also check the book of Esther in the Old Testament of The Bible for the story of one of the most well known clashes between the Jews and the Persians/Iranians.  The end result of that ancient unpleasantness  will be celebrated by Jews this week, Thursday, March 8th, as the "Feast of Purim."

It is impossible to read the book of Esther this week, especially,  and not see the parallels between an ancient Jew approaching a great potentate asking for help to save the lives of the Jewish people.  One can only hope Obama reacts as did King Ahasuerus and that Obama and Netanyahu can both enjoy a few of those famous "Haman's Ear" cookies in celebration of the special occasion when the Jews were saved and Haman, the evil prime minister of Persia, did not succeed in his plot to kill all the Jews of Persia. 

They say history repeats itself.  I'd say ... THEY are right.

J. D. Longstreet  

The Democrat’s “REAL” War Not So Real After All

The Democrat’s “REAL” War Not So Real After All

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet 

Americans have been accused of having the shortest collective memory of any people on earth.  Back when I was but a wee lad, I brushed that off.  Common sense told it was what we used to call in the advertising business  “Puffing.”  Puffing is rhetoric that is known to be untrue but is often used to make a point.  Back in the old days even the federal government allowed a limited amount of puffing in advertising.

Note that above I said the “Common sense told me….  .”  Problem is, these days common sense is certainly not common, and those expressing an opinion based on common sense are frowned upon and often mocked.

We have often stated the political left does not understand making war.  They have shown us time and again they do not understand the military, itself, nor how to apply military strength against an enemy of the US.   Their naiveté is such that they cannot grasp the simplest military tactic.  And they totally do not grasp the meaning behind the old saw:  “All’s fair in love and WAR.”

You may recall that we railed against the Obama Regimes’ public announcement of the date US troops would be withdrawn from Iraq.  You may also recall, we predicted that Iraq would slip back in to anarchy and eventually wind up under the control of another “strongman dictatorship” akin to the one headed by Saddam Hussein, which we overthrew at a rather high cost to America.  It was a cost, which Americans paid in blood and treasure.

Hardly had the dust (kicked up by American forces leaving Iraq) settled until the struggle for a new dictatorship was underway.  It is plain to everyone that our effort in Iraq was a total waste of time, effort, treasure, and blood. 

It is universally understood that when at war with a nation or a stateless rag-tag group of irregulars such as the Islamofacists we’ve been fighting for over ten years now, you do not telegraph your next move.  And you certainly do not openly inform them of the date you intend to leave the battlefield.

But Obama did.  Now Iraq is lost … again, and will most likely necessitate another war with Iraq at some point in the future.

That was bad enough.  But now Obama is doing it all again in Afghanistan.  The Taliban has openly boasted they have beaten America and will rebuild their forces and move to take over Afghanistan as soon as American forces are out of the country.  Unlike the Obama Regime, the Taliban is smart.  The Taliban has completely flummoxed the American Commander-in-Chief and, yes, they will have beaten the American military as a result of the catastrophically poor leadership from Obama. 

Obama’s awful leadership as a war commander has unnecessarily cost many lives of American military men and women and will, undoubtedly, cost even more as he compounds his mistakes on the battlefield with his blunders in foreign policy in the Middle East.

At the moment, while a very short fuse is burning on the powder keg in the Middle East, Obama is attempting to “talk” with Iran.

Only a fool would suppose that talks with Iran are anything more that a sham and an instrument to stall America -- AND Israel -- and buy more time for Iran to realize their dream of building an “Islamic Bomb,” (an atomic bomb), which they have every intention of using on both America and Israel.

Obama has proven to be Iran’s best weapon against the non-Islamic world.

The bottom line is this:  America is in deep trouble and needs a replacement for Obama who will deal a crushing blow against the terror nations of the Middle East.  It has been called a “Peace Through Victory” policy.

It is clear that anything less that a resounding victory is a total waste of time when dealing with the masters of hyperbole.  They can, and will, make anything less into a victory for themselves and spoon-feed that propaganda to their followers who will lap it up with gusto.  It will stoke their anger and enmity toward the US. 

As a lad I was taught to say little because it lends importance and gravitas to what you DO say.  For three years we have had a constant stream of talk from Obama, yea, even rivers of rhetoric flowing from our supposed leader.  His continuous talking has lent new meaning to the phrase: “talk is cheap.”

Our new leader must be a man of few words and more action, especially towards America’s enemies.  America is tired of towering talk and flowing phrases. It is past time to stop talking and starting doing.

J. D. Longstreet 

War Clouds Continue to Gather

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

First, allow me to explain that, yes, I know it is not popular, today, to point out the obvious.  Ok.  Maybe I should have phrased that this way:  “…to point out what SHOULD be obvious.”

Before I proceed, I’d like to encourage my readers to browse the websites of foreign news services.  If I have learned anything at all (since Al Gore invented the Internet) it is this:  The US mainstream media cannot be trusted.  They have an agenda and that agenda does not necessarily include dissemination of the truth.  As a card-carrying member of the press for many years, I have always been aware of the left-leaning bias of the US media.  That is not to say the same leftist bias does not exist in overseas media because it most certainly does.

Having said that – were you aware that right at the moment the Obama Administration is announcing plans to cut the US defense budget the US is preparing for another war in the Middle East?  Did you know that we have been quietly building an armada of naval assets in the Gulf of Oman just off the shores of Iran?  Did you know this naval armada consists of warships from the US, the UK, France, Israel, and others?  

Looking west a bit we see US, French, and British warships, standing off the Syrian coast, facing off with Russian warships including a Russian aircraft carrier task force.

My regional newspaper is printed in a military town, home to one of the largest military bases in the US, and yet, I see very little information in it’s pages concerning this build-up of military might in the waters of the Middle East.  Why?

I’ll make the answer as straight forward and simple as I possibly can.  There re two parts to the complete answer: 1) Obama is seeking reelection.  2) Obama is seeking to reduce the military budget to gain more money to spend on his leftist agenda for America.

At the risk of being called an “alarmist” allow be to make it plain:  I AM alarmed.

So when will this war begin.  Well, let me put it this way:  The Iranians should carefully watch Obama’s poll numbers.  If those numbers continue their slide downwards, the Iranians are going get the heck bombed out of them. 

Americans are extremely reluctant to change Presidents in the middle of a war.  Obama knows this and is expected to act accordingly. 

Some conservative writers and commentators expect that war in the Middle East is currently scheduled for October 2012. That would be the famed “October Surprise.”

On the other hand, those in my camp believe the Iranians, in all their hyped-up passion, will do something stupid like firing on a tanker or a US warship or aircraft, or even worse, make an attempt to close the Straits of Hormuz by sewing it with mines and other hazards to maritime traffic.  That would be the spark that would bring down the considerable wrath of that naval armada lying off their shores.

Then there are the Israelis.  They have had enough of Iran’s threats and Iran’s war on Israel by proxy.  Israel’s secret war of sabotage in Iran can only deliver limited success at delaying and derailing Iran’s race to build or acquire a nuclear bomb.  Israel could decide, at any moment, that enough is enough and launch their fighter-bombers and cruise missiles at Iran’s nuclear facilities.   Even if it only buys a few months or a couple of years of breathing space for Israel, it is becoming clear there is no other way to effectively deter Iran from building their coveted Islam Bomb.

The situation in the Middle East today is far, far, more dangerous than the US media is reporting.  A single spark will ignite a devastating war that will affect practically every nation on earth to some degree or other.

Those of us who continue to sound the warning bell of a huge war in the Middle East are being compared to the boy Peter in the story of “Peter and the Wolf.” An article at Haaretz.com noted that those who make such public comparisons seem always to leave out the end of Aesop’s famous tale of the boy who called wolf too much.  In the end, the wolf actually DID come -- and the sheep were slaughtered.  (SOURCE)

So, with that ending in mind, I have no concern about continually pointing to those dark, foreboding, clouds gathering in the east.  Since the mainstream media seems to be ignoring a certain war to protect Obama’s prospects in the coming election, someone must stand as a watchman on the ramparts and sound the alarm when clouds of dust from the approaching armies of the enemy is sighted and when the sound of distant war drums is heard.

Today those dust clouds are clearly seen over the horizon and the pounding of the drums can be heard in the distance -- and we are sounding the alarm.

J. D. Longstreet 

Israel Shouldn’t Ask Obama for “Permission”

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

Israel doesn’t trust the Obama Administration.  That is plain. Israel is right not to do so.

There is no love lost between Israel’s government and the Obama administration. 

Somehow, the Obama Administration seems to have the mistaken opinion that Israel is a satellite state of America.  It isn’t. 

When America’s government continues to fly  representatives of the US State Department and the Pentagon into Israel with dictatorial attitudes and demanding Israel do things the Obama way and even demanding that Israel ask permission from the Obama Administration before they mount a raid on Iran’s nuclear facilities, you’d better believe the Israeli government is PO’ed.  In fact there are reports that Israel has filed a “demarche” with the US.  A demarche is a formal protest.  It is rare between “friends.”

Israel should not ask permission or even alert Washington when they execute the raid on Iran.  That is the nature of a secret operation.  You tell no one – period.  You certainly do not tell a government you don’t trust to keep the secret.

It has been a while since America has had such an amateurish foreign policy team.  They bring to mind the “gang who couldn’t shoot straight.”

Israel is well advised to stir as clear of the US State Department as it possibly can. The Department of Defense, under the Obama Administration, is not much better.

Israel is the only friend America has in the Middle East and Obama is losing that friend.  At times, it seems intentional.   One would think Obama is seeking to make it clear to the Islamic nations in the region that Israel is on its own. In more ways than one, Obama has made it obvious that he favors the Islamic nations over Israel. 

One look at the Islamic nations of the Middle East today and you quickly see the entire region is in flames – except for Israel. So much for Obama’s favor.

America’s extremely vocal President, early on in his term in office, made the decision to talk to Iran.  Apparently he had convinced himself that his oratorical skills would just melt the Iranians and he, Obama, would be the “Great Peacemaker” in the Middle East.  Well, that worked our just swell, didn’t it? 

One of the first things you learn on the playground of grade school is that you cannot negotiate with bullies.  You have to overpower them, one way, or the other.  Oftimes that means meeting violence with violence.  Reluctance to actually use violence against a bully will certainly guarantee one’s submission to the bully.  Having said that, it is interesting to note that Islam means “submission.” 

The on-going sabotage efforts by Israel’s Mossad and America’s various spy agencies, have had limited success.  It should be understood that those efforts are not going to bring Iran’s march toward acquiring a nuclear bomb to a halt.  At best those efforts will only slow the program.  But the threat remains and is, in fact, growing.

It is extremely difficult for Americans to accept that the recent American bellicosity framed as “warnings” to Iran by the Obama Administration are sincere.   If Americans don’t believe them, then how on earth can we expect the Iranians to believe them?  Even US government experts have been reported as opining that when the balloon goes up, they simply do not know how Obama will react.

Obama is quickly running out of options.  The threatened oil embargo now appears to be useless when sympathizing countries promise Iran they will make up the difference.  The string is about to run out for Obama and his promises.

The final option is a military strike to cripple or destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.  That strike will be carried out by the US, Israel, or both.

It would be wrong for America to stand on the sidelines and allow the destruction of Israel and maybe a few eastern European nations to boot – especially when it can be avoided.

America cannot afford to alienate Israel.  We need Israel just as they need us.

J. D. Longstreet

Iranians Seem Ignorant of US Military Power

Iranians Seem Ignorant of US Military Power 

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

Over the holidays I took time to visit a few Middle Eastern websites and read the reports of Iran’s latest naval war games.  I also read a number of comments on those sites.  I must tell you I was shocked by the comments left by those purporting to be, well, Iranians, or supporters of Iran.  Actually, the comments I read overwhelmingly demonstrated the hatred held in the region for America.  THAT is NOT what shocked me. 

We have read often of the “educated people” of Iran.  Supposedly a Middle Eastern country with a populace better educated than many, if not most, of her neighbors   After my visits to their websites, I have extreme doubt about their education in so far as it pertains to world affairs, especially anything having to do with America, American history, the American character, and/or the American military prowess.

I suppose when one lives in a closed society, like Iran, and when that society is ruled over by a group of extreme fundamentalist clerics, where life is cheap, and one is taught one’s life belongs to the mullahs and only your death has value, then wild, extreme, statements concerning the certain destruction of America (and Israel) is what passes for manliness.

It is really sad to see a people whose lives are so devoid of meaning and so filled with hate that they are willing to destroy themselves and their entire country in an attempt to prove, what, exactly?  To prove they are really BAD men?  To prove they are masculine in the extreme?  To prove their love for some god called Allah?  To prove they had rather be dead than alive?

All the bellicose threats coming out of Iran these days is only hurting Iran.  Theirs is the sort of speech that ignites wars. Theirs are the kinds of actions that will bring the wrath of the entire world down on their heads.

Most everyone knows that if you poke a tiger with a stick long enough and often enough, eventually it will tire of your sport and simply devour you.  Everyone knows that -- but Iran.

Look.  If Iran is planning on going to war with the US -- and expecting China and Russia to back them to the hilt -- they are in for a very rude awakening.  Russia simply does not have the wherewithal to do very much but provide a few munitions.  China? Well, China is not about to actually take on it’s number one customer and risk all the money America owes them in loans to defend some Middle Eastern country which has little to offer China -- other than oil.  There’s lots of oil available from a host of other countries around the globe that would be happy to have China as a customer.  Sorry Iran.  Munitions and moral support is the realistic expectation of Russian and Chinese involvement in an Iranian war against the US.

We have seen this sort of display of bravado before from chest-thumping wannabe regimes in rogue nations around the globe.  They usually wind up with the destruction of their country and a lot of dead leaders, both political and religious, and generations of rebuilding. 

Iran’s “bathtub navy” is embarrassingly impotent.  Oh, sure, they have a few good weapons and, sure, they will get in a few “hits” … before they are sent to the bottom.  One has to wonder if that is how they intend to block the Straits of Hormuz … with the sunken derelicts of their own second hand navy?

The bottom line is:  Iran is going to be attacked by the US, or Israel, or both.  And yes, Iran will attempt to close the Straits… and they may succeed… for a week, or so.  Then the hammer comes down.

Iran’s hyperbole these days is cartoonishly funny.  If, however, they are foolish enough to light the fuse on a war, America will stop laughing -- and Iran will find that it has “talked” itself onto a path to national destruction from which there is no turning back.

Just days ago, we were singing of peace on earth and goodwill toward men as the world teeters on the cusp of Armageddon. (It reminded a great deal of the kid whistling as he walks past a graveyard at night.) The entire globe, today, is one huge powder keg with a smoldering fuse.  It behooves people of sanity to tread softly, and speak softly, less that smoldering fuse sparks to life and the entire planet blows up in war. 

Many pundits and modern-day soothsayers have proclaimed that, indeed, Iran’s goal is to bring war and chaos to the earth to prepare the way for the return of the Twelfth Imam.  (Read more about the 12^th Imam HERE.)  Their ultimate goal is to conquer the entire world in the name of Islam and establish a one-world, Islamic, theocratic, government – just like the one in Iran.

  

There can be no doubt that unless Iran changes her belligerent attitude, there will be war, and the people of Iran will suffer greatly – and lose.  It is no secret that forces are already in motion in preparation for a war with Iran. 

 Iran’s dependence on what they feel is an elite military is misplaced.  That will quickly become obvious once hostilities begin.

Someone once said:  “It is better to have an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep.”  The people of Iran would do well to ponder this proverb -- deeply -- before allowing the first shot to be fired.

 J. D. Longstreet

Iraq’s Five-Day Democracy

Iraq’s Five-Day Democracy

Instant Civil War

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

Surprise!  Surprise!  A free and democratic Iraq didn’t make it a week.  Who would have thunk it?  Actually, a LOT of people warned that the moment American troops left Iraqi soil, the so-called sectarian war would begin once again.  The moment Obama announced the date for US troops to be out of Iraq, the Iraqi Civil War was assured.  THAT was a DUMB move on the part of Obama.  It was just another in his foreign policy blunders for which America will be paying for generations.

Ok.  So we are clear:  I endorsed America’s invasion of Iraq -- to topple Saddam Hussein.  I thought it was necessary to preserve the free flow of oil out of the region.  There was no doubt that had Saddam been left unchecked he would have rolled over, and through, Kuwait and taken Saudi Arabia -- and he would have had his hands around the world’s throat.  That could not be allowed.  What I did not endorse was the ensuing policy of “nation building” implemented by the Bush Administration and continued by the Obama Administration.

A couple of things:  I am from the old school.  I believe in defeating an enemy – totally -- and then, either taking the nation as a prize of war, or walking away -- leaving the former opposition sitting atop a pile of rubble for as far as the eye can see.

I do not like nation-building … period.   The price of war with the US should be a landscape that closely resembles a moonscape.  The cost of rebuilding should be paid in the blood, sweat, and tears of the defeated nation.

Another lesson the US has yet to learn, it seems, is that democracy is not for some people.  Democracy does not, and will not, work in tribal nations.  Sorry, but them’s the facts.

Look.  Fighting a war in the Middle East, for any reason other than punitive, will suck a country, no matter its wealth, dry.  That region of the globe is destined for turmoil until the earth, as we know it, is no more.  But – the utter stupidity of our own government is such that we have no choice but to try and secure the source of our energy, oil, from those countries in the Middle East that hate our very shadow.

The US has enough oil for centuries into the future beneath our own soil and beneath our own territorial offshore waters.  But the US government has bought into the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on mankind, “Global Warming,” and, as a result, the government will not allow us to use our own natural resources, the very resources that made this nation great in the first place. 

So what, if we have to sacrifice the lives of a few thousand American servicemen and servicewomen every few years in “oil wars?”  What’s the loss of life as opposed to the billions to be made in so-called green energy, in so-called renewable energy, etc?  Not to mention the increase in power over the people that accrues to the government through the passage and enforcement of “green laws and regulations.”  Need I remind you of the hulking EPA?

Iraq is a lost cause -- Afghanistan, too. Nation building is a total waste of American blood and money.  Does anyone remember that we went into Afghanistan to smash Al Qaida and capture, or kill, Bin Laudin?  Well, Bin Laudin is dead and Al Qaida ran across the border into a nation friendly to them, Pakistan.

If there was a way to wall off the Middle East from the rest of the world so they could continue to happily fight their tribal and religious wars amongst themselves, and the adult nations of the world could get on with civilization, then I’d endorse it in a second.  The US could get along just fine without them, especially when you consider their major exports are dope, oil, and terrorism.

The plain truth is, however, we can’t even shun them because we are inextricably tied to them by our own government’s refusal to allow us to get at our own source of oil. 

So. The question now is – how long until Iran steps in and asserts its authority over Iraq?   My guess would be sooner rather than later.  With the Iraqi government, such as it is, already on the verge of collapse, just days after America withdraws, and with Iraq’s President Nouri al-Maliki’s ties to Iran, one must wonder how soon he will turn to Iran and ask for military support.  Iran, already seeking hegemony in the region, will happily roll tanks and troops across their shared border and – take over the country.  And believe me, Iran is not interested in “nation-building.”

J. D. Longstreet

Iran Threatens The Straits Of Hormuz Again

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

I sometimes wonder if Iran actually enjoys being a boil on the world’s backside.  They have been a pain in the posterior, most especially of the US, since the decade of the 1970’s. 

America spends millions upon millions of taxpayer’s dollars to patrol the shoreline of Iran in an on-going attempt to keep the oil flowing through the Persian Gulf.  Only a portion of that oil is bound for the US, which means the US is acting, again, as the global police. 

What is it with nations like Iran and North Korea?  They seem to feel they must continuously stir up trouble so the rest of the world won’t forget they are there.  Like a spoiled child “acting out” to get the attention of his parents, these rogue nations will scream and stamp their feet and wail like banshees until somebody notices them.

Recently, Iran has outpaced North Korea with their spoiled brat theatrics.

Once again, Iran is threatening to close the Straits of Hormuz.  Although the Straits are approximately 20 miles wide at the narrowest point, the sea-lanes are only 4-miles wide with a two-mile wide partition between the incoming sea-lane and the outgoing sea-lane. 

Yes, Iran has the capability of closing the Straits.  She can attack oil tankers while they are in the straits, sink them, and create a blockage of the waterway.  But there is little doubt, if any, that the US would strike Iran, with all barrels blazing, if Iran was dumb enough to execute a military strike on unarmed merchant vessels within the straits in a bid to close the Gulf and stop the flow of oil out of those waters through the Straits of Hormuz. 

Some 40 percent of the world’s oil, transported by sea, passes through the Straits of Hormuz.  Thus, effectively closing the Straits would create a worldwide shortage of petrol and petroleum based products… and that is nearly everything.  I don’t think it is really possible, at this point in world history, to estimate the damage to the global economy such an act would cause.

To say there would be an increase in gas prices would be an understatement of enormous proportions.  It would, no doubt, push many of the world’s nations over the brink, upon which they are tottering today, and into the abyss of economic collapse.  There would be chaos on a global scale. 

And there would be war.

There seems little doubt that most of Iran’s naval assets would be destroyed before they ever cast off their lines or hauled in their anchors.  Her submarines, (old Kilo class subs) are of special interest to the US Navy (as are all submarines) and, we suspect, they would be destroyed almost immediately.  Besides, operating a submarine in the shallow waters of the Gulf presents special problems for even the best submariners and, frankly, we have doubts about the proficiency of Iranian sub crews. 

So, what about Iran’s ship killer missiles?  Well, they have them -- and they reportedly are mounted on those so-called “fast attack” boats we became so familiar with during the Iran-Iraq war. The missile is reportedly a hybrid.  They are said to be a cross between the old US Harpoon missile and the old French Exocet missile.  They are made -- you guessed it – in China.

Iran should understand that any unprovoked attack on shipping in the Straits will bring an instantaneous counter attack by the US Navy and, certainly, the navies of other countries whose oil supplies would be severely curtailed or cut-off completely. The advantage to Iran of any such attack is difficult, if not impossible, to discern.

But if, as the theology experts warn us, Iran is determined to pave the way for the return of the 12th Imam, the Madi, which is said to depend upon worldwide chaos, then such an unprovoked attack is certainly within the realm of possibility and, frankly, probability.  In any event, the US -- and the world -- should be prepared.

The other troubling aspect of our current state of relations between the US and Iran is what many Americans define as weak leadership coming from the Office of the President of the United States.  This concern was underlined when our Commander-in-Chief did not order US troops to recover the lost reconnaissance UAV aircraft that, apparently, landed itself in Iran recently.  Even a missile attack on the drone to insure it’s destruction and prevent our top secret intelligence gathering electronics from falling into the hands of Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea, would have been preferable to Obama’s reaction, which was, shamefully, NO action.

The point of all this is simple.  Even though we are celebrating the return from Iraq of US forces this month, and family reunions at Christmastime, we must keep our forces well trained, well equipped, and leaning forward … because we WILL be forced to return to war in the Gulf region soon … very soon.

J. D. Longstreet

Super Committee Suicide ... Alan Caruba

Super Committee Suicide

By Alan Caruba

By the weekend, news reports indicated that the congressional Super Committee was closing in on an agreement. The deficit-cutting panel is mandated to trim at least $1.2 trillion in federal spending over the next ten years and, failing an agreement, automatic cuts would begin in 2013, after the national elections.

In days, however, it was clear that there was no agreement and the Super Committee, as Congress has always done, was looking at a variety of gimmicks and magical thinking to avoid having to address what is now a $15 trillion national debt, more than an entire year’s Gross Domestic Product.

The Super Committee was and is a bad idea on many levels if for no other reason than the Constitution requires that all bills involving expenditures must originate in the House of Representatives (Article 1, Section 7), but “the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills.” The Constitution, however, has mattered less and less to U.S. Congresses for a very long time.

On November 8, ABC News reported that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “suggested that the White House is pulling for the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction…to fail because success would step on their storyline of Republican obstructionism.” Because Washington is a house of mirrors, the news of the past week has been of Democratic obstructionism.

By the end of the week, the President said that he would not sign any bill that repeals the automatic spending reductions that would occur if the Committee does not come to an agreement. “That veto threat,” said a Wall Street Journal article “was a response to GOP lawmakers’ proposals to shield the Pentagon from such cuts.”

On Veteran’s Day, November 11th, a Wall Street Journal editorial, “If Iran Gets the Bomb", took note of the International Atomic Energy Agency report that Iran was closing in on having its own nuclear weapons, saying that “The serious choice now before the Administration is between military strikes and more of the same. As the IAEA report makes painfully clear, more of the same means a nuclear Iran, possibly within a year.”

So, while Iran closes in on becoming a nuclear power, national election campaigns will be raging in 2012 with Obama’s only hope of reelection being to claim that the Republican Party is blocking his efforts to tame unemployment, revive the economy, and keep America safe. Meanwhile, Democrat members of the committee keep pushing for new taxes in the midst of a “recession” that rivals the Great Depression.

If it wasn’t so absurd, it would be laughable, but it is also the worst possible time to have automatic budget cuts that would take as much as $500 billion out of the Pentagon’s budget over the next decade if the Super Committee cannot find agreement. Reportedly, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was looking for potential savings in the budget by cutting the Pentagon’s nuclear arsenal!

The state of our military equipment is geriatric and it is dwindling. The F-15 fighter jets that make up half the fleet, have an average age of 25 years! Air force strategic bombers average 34 years of age and refueling aircraft are 47 years old. The Navy has fewer ships today than on 9/11; 284 now compared to 316 in 2001.

Equipment and vehicles in use since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq are in need of replacement. If the automatic cuts kick in, the Pentagon budget will be cut by $500 billion over the next ten years, precisely at the time the military will need the means to fight a war that would presumably start in the Middle East if Iran’s threats mean anything.

Cutting the Pentagon budget at this time and into the near future is the worst idea to come out of Congress when a kindergartner could find ways to cut $1.5 trillion from the U.S. budget.

Iran’s leaders, from the day in 1979 they seized American diplomats and held them hostage for 444 days, have been in a state of war against America. An Iranian truck bomb was used against the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon and against Marine barracks in 1983. Iranian-made IEDs killed many U.S. military personnel in Iraq. Within recent weeks we learned of a thwarted Iranian plan to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador in a Washington, D.C. restaurant.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei has called for the destruction of Israel, the “little Satan” and America, the “big Satan.”

Ignoring such threats is suicidal.

Israel destroyed Saddam Hussein’s nuclear reactor with a preemptive strike in 1981 and did the same to Syria’s secret nuclear program in 2007. It is unimaginable how events would have played out if Iraq had acquired nuclear weapons. The notion that the United States of America must depend on Israel to end the Iranian threat is cowardly and shameful.

Cutting the Pentagon’s budget now or over the next decade would be suicidal.

© Alan Caruba, 2011
 **************************
Alan Caruba's commentaries are posted daily at "Warning Signs" his popular blog and thereafter on dozens of other websites and blogs. If you love to read, visit his monthly report on new books at Bookviews. To visit his Facebook page, click here For information on his professional skills, Caruba.com is the place to visit.

Iran's Nuclear Armageddon ... Alan Caruba

Iran's Nuclear Armageddon

By Alan Caruba

During the long years of the Cold War from 1945 to 1991, the U.S. and the former Soviet Union faced off against each other, both having an arsenal of nuclear weapons. Only once, during the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962, did the prospect of a real threat to the homeland arise. After a U.S. naval blockade was imposed, the Russians took their missiles home.

The key factor was that the Russian leaders were not suicidal. They were not crazy. They fully understood what it would mean to actually use nuclear weapons or be on the receiving end of them.

The Iranian ayatollahs are a different case entirely. Over the years, they have voiced a rather nonchalant attitude toward being on the receiving end of nuclear weapons because they are a Shiite martyrdom cult. During its eight-year war with Iraq, initiated by Saddam Hussein, an estimated 500,000 Iranians died, including 100,000 children sent to clear mine fields by setting them off.

The failure to grasp the depth and insanity of the current leaders of Iran is pushing the world toward the first nuclear confrontation since A-bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima to end World War II in 1945.

Yoram Ettinger, a former Israel consul general in Houston, Texas, warns that “Iran’s geostrategic goals are energized by its current Islamic zeal, viewing jihad (holy war) as the permanent state of relations between Muslims and non-Muslims, while peace and cease-fire accords are tenuous.”

So, when the Israelis shared intelligence with President Obama in mid-November that the Iranians “will already have five nuclear bombs or warheads” by late March 2012, it raised the stakes for President Obama and the nation.

We already know Obama wants a reduction in nuclear arms. He signed a treaty with the Russians to achieve this. He refused to permit missiles to be based in Poland, presumably for the same reason. The surface to air missiles, however, could have deterred any missiles headed toward Europe.

I have absolutely no confidence in Obama when it comes to the preemptive action that must be taken against Iran’s nuclear and military facilities in order to end a threat that even the President acknowledged in a recemt Hawaii press conference would be directed not just at Israel, but at the United States as well.

The stakes just don’t get any higher and this President has not demonstrated any backbone except to okay the assassination of Osama bin Laden, the man behind the attack on 9/11. That was a no-brainer.

I don’t know what military assets and options we have in the Persian Gulf, but if an attack to deter an Iranian nuclear threat is undertaken either by Israel or together, we will likely need a lot of them.

Military observers have concluded that Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz that provides access to and from the Persian Gulf, thus putting enormous strain on the provision of Middle East oil that flows through the Straits on a daily basis, not just from Iran, but from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq. An estimated 40% of all seaborne oil passes through the Strait, the equivalent of 20% of the total amount of oil traded worldwide. If closed, it would drive the cost of oil to stratospheric heights.

The failure of the U.S. to develop its own extensive oil reserves will prove to be a massive strategic error. The delay of a proposed Canadian oil pipeline to deliver oil to the U.S. is just one small element of this failure.

In an August 6, 2009 Jerusalem Post article, Anne Bayefsky of EyeontheUN.org wrote, “The Iranians have already called Obama’s bluff. An Iranian newspaper referred to the American agenda on July 20 this way: ‘The Obama administration is prepared to accept the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran…they have no long-term plan for dealing with Iran. Their strategy consists of begging us to talk to them.”

Ultimately it will be Israel’s call if U.S. leaders fail to step up to the task and, in the judgment of the Iranians, the U.S. will not. The Israelis have no choice.

In February 2010 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s president, addressing a crowd celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran,said  “Iran is now a nuclear state.”

The world is rapidly running out of time to prevent an Iranian Armageddon.

© Alan Caruba, 2011
******************
Alan Caruba's commentaries are posted daily at "Warning Signs" his popular blog and thereafter on dozens of other websites and blogs. If you love to read, visit his monthly report on new books at Bookviews. To visit his Facebook page, click here For information on his professional skills, Caruba.com is the place to visit.

Israel And Iran Nearing Point Of No Return

Israel And Iran Nearing Point Of No Return

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

When US military forces leave Iraq next month, Israel’s door to Iran will swing wide open.  Iraqi airspace will be available for Israel’s air force for the first time since US troops invaded Iraq.

Tensions have been ramping up between the two government’s for the past year, or so, especially since Obama’s announcement that US forces would leave Iraq next month.

As a police officer many, many, decades ago, I learned, first hand, that some people just don’t know when to shut up.  Many times a police officer will find that he has to separate two people shouting threats at each other.  While one calms down the other continues, even after being warned multiple times to be quiet, shouting epithets, curses, and threats at his former antagonist.  More often that not, the loud-mouth finds him/herself face down on the ground, with his hands cuffed behind him, and on his way to jail.  As we indicated, some people just cannot grasp that there is a time to shut one’s mouth -- and keep it shut.

Such, it would seem, is Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran.  He continues yammering when he should simmer down.  One must consider the possibility that he is attempting to convince himself (more than anyone else) that Iran can destroy Israel. Ahmadinejad is on the brink of a rude awakening. He is about to talk himself into a thrashing of biblical proportions.

On the other hand Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, has had more than enough of Mr. Ahmadinejad’s threats and posturing as well as Iran’s arming of proxy troops in nations surrounding Israel.  For Netanyahu -- it is put up or shut up time for Iran.

There is an extremely thin line of resistance to a preemptive attack on Iran in the Israeli government.  That resistance can dissipate at a moment’s notice, however.

I find it extremely difficult to believe that Iran has any idea of the strength and lethality of the Israeli Defense Forces. 

When the attack begins, it will not be simply an air attack.  It will be a three-pronged attack by the air, land, and sea forces of Israel.  It will rival America’s “shock and awe” attack on Iraq. 

This projection is based on Israel going it alone -- without US assistance. However, I expect US naval assets will guarantee the Straits of Hormuz will remain open, when the attack begins, and be joined in that effort by Israeli naval forces immediately after the opening few hours of battle.

Should the US Navy elect to stand down during Israel’s attack, the Israeli navy and IDF Special Forces are quite capable of removing Iranian missile emplacements that would certainly be used to fire on oil tankers and naval vessels in an attempt to close the Straits to out bound oil bearing ships.  An air attack on the Straits will be met by US aircraft -- defending the waterway -- and quickly smashed.

Netanyahu is former member of the IDF Special Forces.  He is no novice when it comes to matters of war.  Netanyahu’s brother was killed in the Israeli raid on the Entebbe airport in which many hostages from a highjacked airliner were being held.  The hostages were freed but the Netanyahu family, like so many Israeli families, felt the loss of a loved one to military conflict.  There can be no doubt that Netanyahu knows the pain of war.  He also understands that if Israel is to survive, it will be called upon, once again, to sacrifice it’s young on the bloody alter of war.

Delaying the inevitable is only going to intensify the conflict when it comes and probably extend it, as well. The IDF has been training for this war for years now.  Israel’s troops are keen, sharp, and leaning forward.  A number of its assets are; no doubt, already forward deployed and awaiting orders.

Even as US forces are leaving Iraq, the US is already building up its forces “in the area.”  It is said, publicly, to be a back up in case the experiment in nation building in Iraq begins to crumble – or -- Iran starts trouble in Iraq. 

The fact is, that once hostilities commence between Iran and Israel, Iran will most certainly make every effort it possibly can to kill American troops in the area they consider their sphere of influence. Therefore, it will be nigh on to impossible for the US to remain on the sidelines.

Americans must face the fact that America is at war and will remain in a state of war for as far as the eye can see into the future.  The US government should understand this and immediately cease all talk of cutting funding for the only thing that stands between Americans and their freedom:  The US Military.

J. D. Longstreet

Iran Spits in Obama’s Outstretched Hand

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

It was bound to happen.  Just like Jimmy Carter, Iran sensed another weak US President and gave Obama the back if its hand.

The unfortunate truth is – Obama will react to Iran’s attempt to murder the Saudi Ambassador and bomb the Saudi embassy and the Israeli embassy pretty much the same as Jimmy Carter reacted to the taking of American hostages in the US embassy in Tehran during his administration.

Already the Obama administration is calling for an international response to Iran’s latest plot against the US.  WHY?  It strikes me as more of the “It Takes A Village” philosophy.  And it will work just about as well, too.

Already our illustrious Secretary of State is calling for international condemnation of Iran.  What’s the matter, Hillary?  Is the US not big enough to take care of itself? 

No doubt Obama will threaten Iran by sending a letter of condemnation to the mad mullahs in Tehran.  Oh, and to show just how angry, and how serious Obama really is -- he will most likely seek more sanctions on Iran.  We all know just how well the existing sanctions have worked, right?

"We will work closely with our international partners to increase Iran's isolation and the pressure on its government and we call upon other nations to join us in condemning this threat to international peace and security,” our esteemed Secretary of State said on Wednesday.  Wow!  That ought to really put the fear of God in ‘em, right?

Just how out of touch with reality is the Obama administration?  Well, Vice President Joe Biden gives us a hint when he said the following in an interview: "It's critically important that we unite the world in the isolation" of Tehran and that "whatever action is ultimately taken ... that it's not the United States versus Iran."   See what I mean?

Biden is dead wrong!  It IS the US versus Iran.  We have, been assured by Iran’s government, that once they have the nuclear bomb, they intend to strike Israel with the first bomb and the US with the second bomb.  How much clearer could it be?

The US is the Great Satan. The US is a nation of infidels, so far as Iran is concerned, and Iran is the mortal enemy of the US.  The murder and bombing plot in Washington this week should underscore that Iran is at war with the US whether the US government wants to admit it or not.

Here’s what troubles me.  I have said many times in the past that eventually the US will have to go to war with Iran. (Iran is already at war with the US!) And I am very afraid that given the current endeavor in Washington to cut back on the military budget, the US will not have a military large enough and strong enough to go head to head with Iran on a battlefield. 

Our military, today, is in bad shape.  We are making up the difference, so to speak, with military technology. When our opponents become able to overcome our technological advantage – we are going to be in a fight for our lives as a country.  We are flying aircraft that should have been replaced years and even decades ago.  Our Navy is about the size it was when the First World War broke out.  Our Army is exhausted and way, way, under strength and is going to become even more under strength in the immediate future.

And we are staring down the barrel of a soon to be nuclear-armed Iran.

Oh, but you say we held off the Russians for forty years and they were a nuclear power.  That is true… but… Russia is a northern European nation. They think and act as we do.  The same cannot be said for Iran. 

The only real friend the US has in the region is Israel and the Obama administration is treating Israel as if is an enemy.  Dumb does not begin to describe the Obama administration’s treatment of our only friend in the Middle East.

One of the questions making the rounds since the plot was revealed earlier this week is why Iran sought to strike the embassies of both Saudi Arabia and Israel?  There have been unconfirmed reports (dating back at least two years) that the Saudi kingdom had granted Israel access to an area in northern Saudi Arabia to use as a staging area for an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.  If those reports are correct, then surely Iran is aware of it.

In any event, Iran just sent a signal to the Saudis that cooperation with Israel would not be tolerated.

Iran just sent the Obama administration a signal, too.  Unfortunately, our fearless leader seems totally clueless as to what that message is.

In the meantime, Obama will send Iran a letter explaining how attempting to murder Saudis, Israelis, and Americans -- in Washington DC -- is well, really, not nice. That ought to scare the heck out of ‘em.

Yeah, right.

J. D. Longstreet     

I’m Shocked, Shocked, I Tell You!

Iran Supplying Weapons To Iraqi Insurgents?

I’m Shocked, Shocked, I tell you!

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

***************

Like the famous scene from the classic movie “Casablanca” the whole thing concerning Iran trafficking in weapons in Iraq is a sham. I mean, of course, our government’s expression of surprise and pretended annoyance.  It has been common knowledge for YEARS.  Why, now, is it suddenly being spotlighted?

Anyone with the slightest interest in America’s war efforts in the Middle East has known this was a common occurrence all along.  Why, all of a sudden, is the Obama Administration making a big deal over it?

Maybe we should investigate WHY we feel it necessary to dissect any and every action of our vaunted leader in the White House.

We have become so accustomed to the double dealing, the constant stream of lies and near lies, coming from this administration, that we have come to view everything out of the Obama White House (and its Czars and flunkies in charge of the various government “agencies”) through the lens of truth endeavoring to filter out the untruths and as much deception as we possibly can.   It ain’t easy! 

Look, America has been fighting a proxy war with Iran for, well, nigh on to ten years, at least, just in Iraq and Afghanistan.  That doesn’t even take into account all the other trouble spots around the globe where the US is in some degree of conflict with forces sponsored by the “mad mullahs” of Iran.

And it didn’t begin with Iraq or Afghanistan.  It began with the Carter administration and the dethroned Shah of Iran.  Iran and America have been at direct and indirect odds ever since.

It is a pretty sure bet that Iran will simply take over Iraq when the last American troops leave. The stage is being set for that eventuality even now.

In Afghanistan, the shadow war is a little less clear but the assassination of Ahmed Wali Karzai, the half brother of Hamid Karzai the President of Afghanistan, would lead one to believe that efforts to gain a vantage point from which to take control of Afghanistan, when the Americans leave, is on-going.

If makes no sense to me that the American military is involved in Libya, in a limp-wristed attempt to unseat Gaddafi, and not involved in operations to destroy Iran’s fast moving efforts to acquire nuclear bomb making skills and materials.  Has the Obama administration decided the US CAN live with a nuclear-armed Iran?  It certainly seems that way.  If so, then THAT is another reason to show Mr. Obama the door in November of 2012.   

Make no mistake about it.  The US IS going to face off with Iran in a shooting war -- sooner rather than later. It seems to me that fighting an enemy that does not have nuclear capabilities is better than going head to head with another atomic power.

Procrastination is NOT our friend, especially when the enemy is working around the clock to develop weapons to potentially wipe a small nation of the map, and smash even moderately sized nations (such as those in eastern Europe) back to the Stone Age. 

The world has been warned, many times over, that Iran is seeking hegemony in the Middle East. Once they acquire nuclear weapons they will have it.

Waiting for Israel to take out Iran’s nuclear capabilities is not going to work.  Not so long as Obama is in the White House.  

Israel does not trust Obama and his minions.  They believe he has shown entirely too much favor toward Islamic nations and too much DISFAVOR towards Israel, to be trusted as an ally in any kind of military action against an Islamic country.  They reason, rightly, that one cannot continuously look over one’s shoulder while in mortal conflict.  With Obama as an ally, Israel reasons that deciding who is the greater threat to them (in the midst of battle) would be a deterrent to Israel in winning a military confrontation with Iran.  Therefore, whatever Israel does against Iran -- expect it to be totally covert with no notice to the US until their actions are a fait accompli.

In the meantime, removing American troops from the Middle East only allows Iran to slip its leash. 

America needs a huge military base, of its own,  in the Middle East for ongoing and future operations in that theatre.  I suspect such a base now exists … in Iraq.  However, that doesn’t mean the Obama administration will not abandon it to the Iraqis/Iranians.  Such is the naiveté of Obama and his cohort in both the White House and the Congress. 

Most everyone, with common sense, knows America is leaving Iraq … temporarily. We will be forced to return to Iraq, and probably Afghanistan, in the not too distant future.  Whether fighting Iraqis, Afghanis, or Iranians, America’s job is NOT DONE in the Middle East!

So long as America depends on the nations of the Middle East for the fuel to run our republic, we have no choice but to remain engaged with them -- even if that means going to war against them, or defending them.

Until America comes to it’s senses and decides to use its own petroleum resources and stop relying on tribal countries and socialist countries for the life blood of our economy we will be harnessed to them much the same as a man having a wolf by the throat.  He (we) can’t turn loose.  To be free of the wolf, the wolf must be “put down.”

America is in desperate need of leadership with common sense.  We need a leader who will confront Iran and plant the flag declaring we will not tolerate Iran’s efforts toward hegemony in the Middle Eastern powder keg.  The world is tired of the constant bickering, squabbling, fighting, killing, and general “hell raising” from a group of countries that refuse to grow up and join the 21^st century world.

Obama is NOT that leader!

J. D. Longstreet