G. McDade write: ..."any country that defies the US or challenges Israel’s regional hegemony." How is Iran "defying" the US other than by "challenging Israel's regional hegemony"? I submit that Israel is the overriding factor; it's the tail that wags the dog through the Lobby.
"It [Iran] closed Iran to US multinationals and is openly opposed to Israeli state-sponsored terrorism and land theft." The Iranian market remains closed to US multinationals becuase they are prevented from dealing with Iran via legistlations enacted by a US Congress that has been "bought and paid for by the Israel Lobby".
A comment made on the cited Haaretz article bears repeating here: "If [even] Israel acknowledges that Iran has not yet made a decision about acquiring nuclear weapons and certainly doesn't have them yet - what on earth are the sanctions for? Put it another way. how is Iran supposed to comply in order to have the sanctions lifted? Stop its nuclear weapons programme?...oh wait."
Increasingly the real reason is becoming clear. This is mainly about making the world safe for Israel and "securing the realm" for the zionist settler-colonialist enterprise.
Juan write: “In addition, the planned joint US-Israeli war games, Austere Challenge 2012, have been cancelled or postponed. The reason for this move has not been made clear by the US. Some are saying that Israel’s budget situation made it impossible to hold the maneuvers now, while others say that Washington became alarmed at what such an exercise might look like at a time of high tensions with Iran in the Straits of Hormuz.”
“Israel’s budget situation”? Are you kidding me. This is all paid for by the US anyways, and Congress would instantly appropriate the necessary funds if Bibi were to make the call. (Recall those standing ovations "bought and paid for by the Israeli Lobby".) Fear of further heightening tension is also unlikely to be the reason, as ratcheting up the pressure on Iran has always been part of the game.
The cancelation is more likely because Israel refuses to give assurances that it won't strike Iran, and Obama is trying to show Bibi that he still got half a testicle left, and, by golly, he is determined to use it while it is still attached. Bibi is in for the kill and is playing Obama for the fool he is.
Israel probably thinks that this is the best time for regime change in the US -- yes the US -- and the way to do it is to strike Iran and test Obama’s 3 A.M. reflexes. (You will recall that Gingrich, who is aspiring to depose Obama and who is beholden to uber- zionist billionare Adelson, talked about this precise scenario, which makes one wonders if he is not in on the plot for regime change here in the good old U.S. of A.) They (Israel and their allies here in the US) are counting on Obama to blunder big time so they can get their dream team: a Republican President beholden to them on top of a Congress that has long been “bought and paid for by Israeli Lobby”. If Obama joins in the fight, the economy will tank. If he does not, the economy will still tank as a result of hightened hostilities and he will, in addition, be painted as an incompetent wimp. Either way, Obama will be finished. Two birds with one stone. Mission Accomplished.
G. McDade write: ..."any country that defies the US or challenges Israel’s regional hegemony." How is Iran "defying" the US other than by "challenging Israel's regional hegemony"? I submit that Israel is the overriding factor; it's the tail that wags the dog through the Lobby.
"It [Iran] closed Iran to US multinationals and is openly opposed to Israeli state-sponsored terrorism and land theft." The Iranian market remains closed to US multinationals becuase they are prevented from dealing with Iran via legistlations enacted by a US Congress that has been "bought and paid for by the Israel Lobby".
A comment made on the cited Haaretz article bears repeating here: "If [even] Israel acknowledges that Iran has not yet made a decision about acquiring nuclear weapons and certainly doesn't have them yet - what on earth are the sanctions for? Put it another way. how is Iran supposed to comply in order to have the sanctions lifted? Stop its nuclear weapons programme?...oh wait."
Increasingly the real reason is becoming clear. This is mainly about making the world safe for Israel and "securing the realm" for the zionist settler-colonialist enterprise.
Juan write: “In addition, the planned joint US-Israeli war games, Austere Challenge 2012, have been cancelled or postponed. The reason for this move has not been made clear by the US. Some are saying that Israel’s budget situation made it impossible to hold the maneuvers now, while others say that Washington became alarmed at what such an exercise might look like at a time of high tensions with Iran in the Straits of Hormuz.”
“Israel’s budget situation”? Are you kidding me. This is all paid for by the US anyways, and Congress would instantly appropriate the necessary funds if Bibi were to make the call. (Recall those standing ovations "bought and paid for by the Israeli Lobby".) Fear of further heightening tension is also unlikely to be the reason, as ratcheting up the pressure on Iran has always been part of the game.
The cancelation is more likely because Israel refuses to give assurances that it won't strike Iran, and Obama is trying to show Bibi that he still got half a testicle left, and, by golly, he is determined to use it while it is still attached. Bibi is in for the kill and is playing Obama for the fool he is.
Israel probably thinks that this is the best time for regime change in the US -- yes the US -- and the way to do it is to strike Iran and test Obama’s 3 A.M. reflexes. (You will recall that Gingrich, who is aspiring to depose Obama and who is beholden to uber- zionist billionare Adelson, talked about this precise scenario, which makes one wonders if he is not in on the plot for regime change here in the good old U.S. of A.) They (Israel and their allies here in the US) are counting on Obama to blunder big time so they can get their dream team: a Republican President beholden to them on top of a Congress that has long been “bought and paid for by Israeli Lobby”. If Obama joins in the fight, the economy will tank. If he does not, the economy will still tank as a result of hightened hostilities and he will, in addition, be painted as an incompetent wimp. Either way, Obama will be finished. Two birds with one stone. Mission Accomplished.