Dear Friends,
It seems to me that Iran is running out the clock to get nuclear weapons. The new UN report makes it clear the Iranians have the technology and have been actively working on it for quite some time. Apparently the only thing in the way of Iran getting a nuclear warhead to put on one of those missiles they tested last week is sufficient enriched uranium.
Apparently it is being reported that Iran has made some movement in the direction of letting a third party enrich Iranian uranium to a level suitable for use in nuclear reactors. Russia and China have been purported to be possible partners.
The Iranians backed out of just such a deal with Europe. Such a deal could be great for Iran’s nuclear ambitions though. If Iran can game the system they could send un enriched uranium to China. The Chinese (or Russians) would enrich it to a level suitable for nuclear reactors. Then the Iranians could further enrich it to a level suitable for a warhead. Along with what they have already enriched with their own centrifuges this could double the enriched uranium in the hands of the new Cambyses… the Ayatollah.
Some member of the Elite, I forget who, said if the Iranians keep on the path they are on they will end up in the same boat as the North Koreans…. Isn’t that exactly the ship the Iranian tyranny wants to board???
Along the same lines, in Afghanistan, the general in charge says he needs more forces to do the job. The Obama administration is second guessing it’s general. More combat forces is not politically good for the president right now. So they are looking for ways out. The administration would like to fix Afghanistan on the cheap.
Like the Johnson administration the Obama administration believes it is a better war strategist then it’s generals. This is the problem with Democrat administrations in the past… they second guess their generals. Not that following doggedly, like Bush did, is much better. The trick is to know which generals have the right answer. One thing is certain, when a strategy is failing, and has failed every time it is tried, it should probably be relegated to the trash heap.
Strategies that have worked in the past, in as dire circumstances as these, probably are the best shot now. Take Hold and Build worked in Iraq. It will work in Afghanistan. The problem isn’t the Taliban it is the political will in Washington… and Europe.
The Europeans want the US to do all the heavy lifting as they did in Iraq. European countries have no stomach for fighting to give someone else freedom. They selfishly expect someone else to do the dirty work while they sip lattes in the square.
Like when the Nazis invaded Poland. France and Briton had the opportunity to stop the war there. The Nazi army was largely fighting in Poland. The British and French could have invaded from the Maginot Line. But the timidity of these two powers in committing forces led to the deaths of millions. To actually launch an invasion of Germany from France despite the aggressive acts of invading Poland would not have been politically good for the leaders of France and Briton. Plus who wants to die t protect a Pole?
Isn’t it funny how history repeats itself?
