Monday, September 3, 2012

U.S. Actions to Calm Israel – NY Times

The New York Times reports today that the Obama administration is moving ahead with “a range of steps short of war that it hopes will forestall an Israeli attack.”  The moves entail the largest-ever minesweeping exercise in the Persian Gulf involving 25 countries, already planned for 16-27 September; deployment of new anti-missile radar system in the region; new declaration by President Obama on the ‘red line’ that would bring about American military action against Iran; as well as covert activities that have been previously considered and rejected. (The New York Times, 3 September)

The minesweeping exercises are to show Iran the unity of allied forces and their capabilities to prevent it from attempting to block the Strait of Hormuz. (Iran will also hold defensive exercises around the same time to dissuade others from attack.)



The Times also reports that a new high-resolution anti-missile radar system will be deployed in Qatar to provide a broad arc of anti-missile coverage, coopting the radars already deployed in Israel and Turkey. The new system is to counter Iranian missiles, including any future ones armed with nuclear-warhead. The new system would be a significant addition to the regional missile defense system already in place in the Arab countries across the Gulf to protect cities, oil refineries, pipelines and military bases from an Iranian attack.  

Military specialists told the Times that offensive military options, including strikes against Iran’s refineries and power grid, could also be telegraphed to the Iranians.

The Obama administration is also considering starting a successor to “Olympic Games,” the covert cyberoperation that infected Iran’s nuclear centrifuges and, for a while, sent them spinning out of control.

All of these options, the Times reports, are designed to buy time — to offer Israeli officials a credible alternative to a military strike against Iranian nuclear installations.

6 comments:

Jean-Pierre said...

More maneuvers in the Gulf are too little too late because President Obama’s surrogates have already made it clear to Iran that the already extremely weak policy statement “all options are on the table”, means that they always will be on the table and Iran does not have to worry about an American military strike when it becomes a fully nuclear armed power.

I was glad to read that “The administration is also considering new declarations by President Obama about what might bring about American military action, ”

This has been the advice from Alan Dershowitz, a major supporter of President Obama.

But preventing a nuclear Iran is not just about Israel or calming
Israel. A nuclear Iran would forever change the American economy with $20.00 a gallon gas.

Will he make Teheran’s rulers understand that their days in power are numbered if they continue to build a nuclear bomb?

Inexperienced President Barack Obama has made many major mistakes and has very rarely learned from his mistakes.

mat said...

The U.S.: What a life term slave to its master. Guess who?

Anonymous said...

Jean-Pierre

Hi, are are you a French or another ancestry guy or is it an alias??

I agree with you that Mr. Obama is still unexperienced. I believe it is the case because he has chosen specific chosen peoples, including A. Dershowitz, as his advisors, or those advisors had chosen him as a their advisor.

I disagre with your statement that
" A nuclear Iran would forever change the American economy with $20.00 a gallon gas"

May be "nuclear Iran" would bring cheaper goods and oil, the same way like the nuclear China has brought lower prices to the US with its "made in china" merchandise.

Anonymous said...

mat

Your comments most of the time are too short and unclear.
Are you a make believe commentator?

Anonymous said...

gee whiz mat, didn't iran abolish slavery around 1930?

Anonymous said...

Please tell us mat,we are waiting in suspense!