Sometimes the information on what is going on isn't found in the obvious headlines--it's found in seemingly unrelated headlines. The UK Times Online reported today that the Saudi Arabian government has conducted tests to take down its radar temporarily in order to allow Israel to fly over to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. I guess the Saudis don't have a lot of faith in the latest round of United Nations sanctions against Iran.
On Thursday, Investors.com reported on the latest sanctions leveled against Iran. The article points out that the fact that Brazil and Turkey voted against the sanctions will probably embolden Iran to continue its nuclear program.
The article points out:
"Somehow, President Bush, the unilateralist, the practitioner of cowboy diplomacy, was able to get all the members on board on sanctions. Obama, charismatic consensus builder, couldn't. Might it have something to do with the perception of a decline in U.S. power under this new leadership?"
The sanctions did not stop Russia from supplying S-300 missiles to Iran to defend Iran's nuclear sights, but it looks as if Russia may have cancelled the shipment on its own. I wonder about this and wonder what will go on between Russia and Iran that we don't know about regarding the shipment of these missiles.
The article concludes:
"The paper (Britain's left-wing Guardian) also believes the dubiously re-elected Ahmadinejad comes out the better, having been given "the opportunity of defying the world, and winning."
"These new sanctions are not aimed at getting Iran to stop going nuclear; they're aimed at getting Iran to agree to talk -- leading to new concessions. And all the while, the jihadists' nuclear clock is ticking."
This is not a Republican or Democrat issue. George Bush was not successful at stopping Iran's nuclear program either, although I believe he was hampered by a hostile media and a hostile Congress. I don't believe attacking Iran is the answer--I believe funding the opposition to the current government any way you can is the answer. A stronger stand during the unrest after the last Iranian election would have been helpful. Israel will be condemned by the world if it attacks Iran's nuclear facilities, but at the same time, most of the world will breathe a sigh of relief.
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