Appeasement with these Maggots Will Never Work, Obama is a Complete and Utter Fool

[ScottL]

Can Iran Become a Cooperative Partner in Regional Security? - Michael Doran and Max Boot (New York Times)

There are two main reasons for this attempted shift. One is simply the desire of the president to extricate the U.S. from the Middle East. The other is fear of al-Qaeda: The White House undoubtedly sees Iran and its Shiite allies as potential partners in the fight against Sunni jihadism.

However, this strategy is destined to fail. Iran does not share a common enemy that would force it to unite with America. Though Iran's proxies are fighting Sunni extremists in a number of theaters, Iran itself has cooperated with al-Qaeda and other Sunni extremists, such as Hamas and the Taliban, when it has served its interests to do so.

Iran's rulers simply do not regard al-Qaeda as an existential threat on a par with the "Great Satan" (as they see the U.S.).

The second major problem is that Iran has always harbored dreams of regional hegemony. There is no sign that the election of the "moderate" cleric Hassan Rouhani as president has changed anything. On the contrary, Iran is stepping up its support for militants in the region.

Michael Doran is a senior fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. Max Boot is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

 

[ScottL]

Iran Continues Campaign to Become Leading Regional Power - Walter Russell Mead
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Lebanon this week, where he laid a wreath at the tomb of Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh. Zarif then met with Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of Hizbullah. Iran is using the discussions on its nuclear program to project an image of moderation even as it dramatically steps up its campaign to establish itself as the leading power in the Middle East.

While officials from the P5+1 countries congratulate each other on an "interim agreement" and a "temporary freeze" on Iran's nuclear enrichment program, Iran is stepping up its military and economic support for Hizbullah, the Assad regime in Damascus, and Shiite militia groups in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain. Franklin Roosevelt once said that you can't turn a tiger into a kitten by stroking it. (American Interest)
See also U.S. Condemns Iran Decision to Put Wreath on Hizbullah Leader's Grave (Reuters)

 

[ScottL]

How the Nuke Deal Looks to Iran - Benny Avni (New York Post)

Tehran continued to grow its nuclear program, reportedly introducing a new generation of centrifuges to its facilities in Natanz and Fordow, and vigorously building its Arak heavy-water facility.

It added 1,000 pounds to its stockpiles of uranium enriched to 5%, and 66 pounds to its 20% stock, getting it close to breakout capacity.

International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors were turned away when they sought to visit the Parchin military base, where the IAEA indicates that Iranians are experimenting with ways to weaponize nukes.

And while the U.S. claims it can undo the rollback of Iran sanctions at any time:

Next month, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is to visit Tehran to ink a trade pact worth up to $50 billion a year, which would give Turkey access to Iran's oil and open a major regional market for Iranian goods.

Iran is also negotiating an oil-for-goods deal with Russia, worth $1.5 billion a month.

Meanwhile, Tehran insists that the November deal affirms its Allah-given right to enrich uranium, while top Iranian figures emphasize that they'll never halt their nuclear program.

 

[superbeets]

President Obama does not have particularly strong networks within Congress

 

[superbeets]

Supporters welcomed the Iranian delegation back home after the Geneva negotiations in November

 

[superbeets]

The deal reached by foreign ministers in Geneva last November has not satisfied many in Congress

 

[superbeets]

President Barack Obama met Democrats behind closed doors to make his case against sanctions


The Obama team accuses those with whom they disagree of wanting war, posing the issue as: negotiate, or pass the legislation and leave war as the only option.
That enrages many in Congress who point out that the administration repeatedly opposed past congressional sanction initiatives and then, after those sanctions were enacted, went on to describe those sanctions as key elements in persuading Iran to come to the negotiating table.
Some in Congress suspect that the same dynamic seen over the last several years would apply to this new bill: the administration would strongly oppose it while it was under debate, and then once it was passed, would shift position 180 degrees to describe the new congressionally mandated pressure on Iran as central to persuading Iran to become more accommodating.

 

[superbeets]

With mid-term elections coming later this year, it would be very difficult for Democrats to go against a president of their own party, especially on foreign policy - an area where Congress mostly defers to the president.

 

[Willie99]

How the Nuke Deal Looks to Iran - Benny Avni (New York Post)

Tehran continued to grow its nuclear program, reportedly introducing a new generation of centrifuges to its facilities in Natanz and Fordow, and vigorously building its Arak heavy-water facility.

It added 1,000 pounds to its stockpiles of uranium enriched to 5%, and 66 pounds to its 20% stock, getting it close to breakout capacity.

International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors were turned away when they sought to visit the Parchin military base, where the IAEA indicates that Iranians are experimenting with ways to weaponize nukes.

And while the U.S. claims it can undo the rollback of Iran sanctions at any time:

Next month, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is to visit Tehran to ink a trade pact worth up to $50 billion a year, which would give Turkey access to Iran's oil and open a major regional market for Iranian goods.

Iran is also negotiating an oil-for-goods deal with Russia, worth $1.5 billion a month.

Meanwhile, Tehran insists that the November deal affirms its Allah-given right to enrich uranium, while top Iranian figures emphasize that they'll never halt their nuclear program.

and what do we get?

let me guess, the least prepared man in the room is going to establish a committee to investigate that

fucking bozo the clown at the helm

 

[Willie99]

 

[Willie99]

And this is the kind of stupidity you get when blind non-judgmental, non-thinking 'tolerance' is one of your main values:

See? Tolerance both ways.

The left is beyond idiotic and sick.

Columbia welcomes Mahmoud with open arms and respect, but threatens Annie with physical violence

that's all you need to know about libtard nation, A/K/A the Occupy Wall St crowd

asswipes in so many ways, but not as productive and useful as asswipes which actually have a purpose in life

 

[Ricboff]

Sane and insane on both sides of the aisle . Lets hope the men that matter, the leaders, are sane. It's our responsibility to ensure they are.