Those Warmongering Euros

Here is the "international community's" more or less consensus view on Iranian nukes, courtesy of MEMRI's interview with IAEA chief (in the Get Smart sense of the term) Muhammad El Baradei.  Note the remarkable aspect that even appeaseniks abroad are conceding that the Iranians could have nuclear weapons in as little as six months from now; then have your buzz killed by the self-inflating caveat that that conclusion is only functional if IAEA "inspectors" are granted access to ALL of the mullahgarchy's nuclear installations, which they have never been and never will be.  Then have your morale taken down to the vicinity of your left gonad by remembering that "Dr." El Baradei is, you should pardon the expression, pretty much Ahmadinejad's bitch.

Although, I hasten to add, I partially agree with the "good" doctor about air strikes against Iran.  Given that we and/or the Israelis don't necessarily know where all of their nuclear facilities are located, an Operation Opera on steroids would run the legit risk of escalating the war with the mullahs without taking out enough of the targets to justify the cost and ensuing nastiness.  This would necessitate further attacks to eliminate what survived the first time, which would be more difficult by definition, be more escalatory, and so on.

This is why I have always believed (and still do) we should stop dilly-dallying and just invade Iran, crush the Islamic regime, and be done with it.  The longer we dither, the more likely that the mullahs will strike first, and with more than just conventional weapons.  We can be assured that the latter option is infinitely worse than the former.

Sure, nobody has the balls for that after Iraq.  Which is why my Churchillian wisdom will be inevitably, and bloodily, vindicated.  

With that as background context, look at who is more afraid of Barack Hussein Obama vis-a-vie Iran policy than even Cowboy George himself:

European officials are increasingly concerned that Senator Barack Obama’s campaign pledge to begin direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program without preconditions could potentially rupture U.S. relations with key European allies early in a potential Obama administration.

The U.N. Security Council has passed four resolutions demanding that Iran stop enriching uranium, each time highlighting the offer of financial and diplomatic incentives from a European-led coalition if Tehran suspends enrichment, a route to producing fuel for nuclear weapons. But Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has said he would make such suspension a topic for discussion with Iran, rather than a precondition for any negotiations to take place.

European officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said they are wary of giving up a demand that has been so enshrined in U.N. resolutions, particularly without any corresponding concessions by Iran. Although European officials are eager to welcome a U.S. president promising renewed diplomacy and multilateralism after years of tensions with the Bush Administration, they feel strongly about continuing on the current path.

To quote a Spockian axiom, "A difference which makes no difference, IS no difference."  Here, what ostensible difference there is between the European and Obamanan strategies is how the Titanic's deck chairs are arranged.  The Euros have, as BO rightly points out, failed four times running in its attempts to buy off the mullahs.  This is not because, as BO wrongly argues, the offers haven't been generous enough, or that a verbal commitment to ceasing uranium enrichment as a precondition constitutes recalcitrance.  They've failed because the Islamic Republic wants nukes, they won't be talked or bribed out of making them, and the thing they need from the West to attain them is time.  The West's craven willingness to keep pursuing diplomatic insanity is providing the mullahs with more of that commodity than they know what to do with.

An Obama pilgrimmage to Tehran wouldn't change this dynamic much, other than to completely forfeit any remaining tattered semblance of U.S. prestige and leadership in the stop-Iranian-nukes effort, enhance that of the Iranians immensely, and embolden the mullahs to even greater recklessness once they officially cross the nuclear threshold.  Again, assuming they haven't already.

Where Barry O already wants to go is where the Euros are headed sooner or later anyway.  I suppose that is leadership of a sort.  It reminds me of Samuel L. Jackson's line to Bruce Willis in Diehard With A Vengeance after Willis' John McLain has accused Jackson's Zeus Carver of not liking him because he's white.  "I don't like you because you're gonna get me killed!"

The Euros are going to get themselves killed.  Lucifer would get them AND us killed even faster.  I guess the former are just jealous.

No wonder Ehud Olmert is meeting regularly with Operation Opera's architect.  If they don't do something to try and avert a nuclear Iran, and therefore a nuclear war, nobody else will.  And they'll be the first to regret it.