For Israel, attack on Iran seems off the table

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

JERUSALEM (AP) — President Barack Obama's decision to open a dialogue with Iran's new president appears to have robbed Israel of a key asset in its campaign to prevent the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear weapon: the threat of unilaterally attacking Iranian nuclear facilities.

Despite some tough rhetoric in a speech to the U.N. by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it will be all but impossible for Israel to take military action once negotiations between Iran and world powers resume.

As a result, Israel could find itself sidelined in the international debate over how to handle the suspect Iranian nuclear program over the coming months and reliant on the United States at a time when American credibility in the region is in question.

Addressing the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Netanyahu repeated his mantra that Israel is prepared to act alone if it determines diplomacy has failed.

"Israel will never acquiesce to nuclear arms in the hands of a rogue regime that repeatedly promises to wipe us off the map. Against such a threat, Israel will have no choice but to defend itself," he said. "I want there to be no confusion on this point. Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone."

Yet behind Netanyahu's rhetoric, his options appear to be limited as a consequence of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's outreach to the West.

At the U.N. last week, Rouhani delivered a conciliatory speech in which he said Iran has no intention of building a nuclear weapon and declared his readiness for new negotiations with world powers.

Capping off the visit, Rouhani and Obama held a 15-minute phone call as the Iranian leader was traveling to the airport. It was the first conversation between the nations' leaders in 34 years and raised hopes that a breakthrough on the nuclear issue could portend even deeper ties between the U.S. and Iran.

Netanyahu has greeted Rouhani's outreach with deep skepticism, expressing fears that Iran will use upcoming nuclear talks as a ploy to get the world to ease painful economic sanctions while secretly pressing forward with its nuclear program. In his address Tuesday, Netanyahu urged the world to step up the pressure on Iran until its nuclear weapons program is dismantled.

At a White House meeting on Monday, Obama sought to calm the visiting Israeli leader, saying the U.S. will never allow Iran to produce a nuclear weapon.

"Our hope is that we can resolve this diplomatically," Obama said. "But as president of the United States, as I've said before and I will repeat, that we take no options off the table, including military options."

Such words may provide little comfort in Israel, where many are questioning Obama's willingness to take military action following his recent handling of the Syrian chemical weapons crisis.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-world/20131002/ML-Israel-Iran/

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"Israel will never acquiesce to nuclear arms in the hands of a rogue regime that repeatedly promises to wipe us off the map. Against such a threat, Israel will have no choice but to defend itself," he said. "I want there to be no confusion on this point. Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone."

Haha the rogue nuclear state -- the same one that illegally developed its own nuclear weapons program and continues to refuse to even acknowledge it has them, while at the same time sits on massive stockpiles of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and continues to refuse to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty !! -- demands that it can dictate to Iran (which in fact signed the NPT) that it stop enriching uranium up to the level to which it is legally entitled.

No shame in Nutty's game.

And the "Wipe off the map" lie went past its expiration date several years ago.

Edited October 2, 2013 by Falastin_Qalbi

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

Oh, Netty, always the whiny, petulant child throwing a temper tantrum. His parents should have slapped him upside the head more growing up.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Oh, Netty, always the whiny, petulant child throwing a temper tantrum. His parents should have slapped him upside the head more growing up.

In fact, Bibi learned much of his ideology from his father. Netanyahu was raised on racist religio-supremacist Zionism, oppression, denial and refusal of Palestinian rights, and Greater Israel expansionism.

http://world.time.com/2012/05/02/received-wisdom-how-the-ideology-of-netanyahus-late-father-influenced-the-son/