The Iranian Surprise

First there was news that Iran is going to announce a nuclear surprise:

A senior official in Teheran said Wednesday that in the next few days, a “surprise” was expected regarding Iran’s nuclear program, Al-Jazeera reported.

Teheran’s apparent refusal to suspend uranium enrichment set the stage for a showdown at the UN Security Council later this month.

Then news that Israel is coming to the realization that they will have to take care of Iran alone.

Israel is carefully watching the world’s reaction to Iran’s continued refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, with some high-level officials arguing it is now clear that when it comes to stopping Iran, Israel “may have to go it alone,” The Jerusalem Post has learned.

One senior source said on Tuesday that Iran “flipped the world the bird” by not responding positively to the Western incentive plan to stop uranium enrichment. He expressed frustration that the Russians and Chinese were already saying that Iran’s offer of a “new formula” and willingness to enter “serious negotiations” was an opening to keep on talking.

“The Iranians know the world will do nothing,” he said. “This is similar to the world’s attempts to appease Hitler in the 1930s – they are trying to feed the beast.”

Now news that Israel is buying some new nuke subs:

WITH Iran confidently defying pressure to curb its nuclear programme, Israel has signed a contract with Germany to buy two more submarines capable of firing nuclear missiles, it emerged yesterday.

Israeli security sources said the submarines are needed to counter long-range threats from countries such as Iran, whose president has called for Israel to be “wiped off the map”.

Israel has been expanding its military in the light of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. It already has three Dolphin-class submarines which can fire nuclear missiles, but the newer models can remain submerged far longer.

The deal was signed last month and the submarines will be operational shortly, the Jerusalem Post reported. Germany has agreed to take on the costs of up to a third of the value of the 1 billion deal.

Pretty apparent what all this means. With the UN reacting to Iran’s latest delaying tactic as they usually do, meaning glee, the Israeli’s know they cannot allow Iran to become nuclear. Neither can we. With that fact in mind the Bush administration is slowly realizing our own intelligence services are underestimating the Iranian threat:

Some senior Bush administration officials and top Republican lawmakers are voicing anger that American spy agencies have not issued more ominous warnings about the threats that they say Iran presents to the United States.

Some policy makers have accused intelligence agencies of playing down Iran’s role in Hezbollah’s recent attacks against Israel and overestimating the time it would take for Iran to build a nuclear weapon.

The complaints, expressed privately in recent weeks, surfaced in a Congressional report about Iran released Wednesday. They echo the tensions that divided the administration and the Central Intelligence Agency during the prelude to the war in Iraq.

The criticisms reflect the views of some officials inside the White House and the Pentagon who advocated going to war with Iraq and now are pressing for confronting Iran directly over its nuclear program and ties to terrorism, say officials with knowledge of the debate.

So we come to the end game. Bush is jumping through the required diplomatic hoops but with the intelligence agencies aligned against him and the UN doing what they usually do, appease, either Bush has to decide to back Israel militarily without the backing of the UN and our intelligence agencies or he backs off and lets Israel go it alone.

With the threat Iran poses to the world he cannot, must not, back off.

Other’s Blogging:

• Captain’s Quarters
• Blogs For Bush
• A Blog For All
• Protein Wisdom
• The American Princess
• Liberty And Justice
• Hot Air
• The Political Pit Bull
• Hyscience
• Ms. Underestimated
• Riehl World View
• Blue Crab Boulevard
• Wizbang

So we come to the end game. Bush is jumping through the required diplomatic hoops but with the intelligence agencies aligned against him and the UN doing what they usually do, appease, either Bush has to decide to back Israel militarily without the backing of the UN and our intelligence agencies or he backs off and lets Israel go it alone.

Curt

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