Disgusting...has to be stopped.

BDS it is.

Iran is a bogus concocted threat. If the US government is complicit in an unprovoked attack on yet another sovereign nation, I will wash my hands. Iran is far away from a nuke. Israel has them. I have no problem wity Israel as an ally. But they can not dictate our military operations in a manner that is detrimental to regional stability.

Israel would be far better served with a peace accord that its sister nations will recognize. It is as if Israel is dead set on reliving the Sabbatai Zevi fiasco.

In spite of the IAEA and the NIE reports that state that Iran's legal domestic nuclear program is not diverting uranium and has no military dimension, President Obama's remarks over the past couple of years clearly play into the hands of the warmongers. Couple that with the close relations the Dems have with Israel and The Lobby and we have a recipe for disaster.

Obama: "The world must work to stop Iran’s uranium enrichment program and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons". . ."don't wait for the next president" to take office before yielding to Western demands to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. . .Iran poses "an extraordinarily grave situation." . .Iran is a “major threat” and it would be “unacceptable” for the rogue nation to develop a nuclear weapon, . . Iran's development of nuclear weapons is unacceptable. . ."We need to ratchet up tough but direct diplomacy with Iran, making very clear to them that their development of nuclear weapons would be unacceptable". . . "[Iran is] pursuing a nuclear weapon that could potentially trigger a nuclear arms race.". ."So let me be clear: Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a real threat, not just to the United States, but to Iran's neighbors and our allies."

Iran is not defenseless. They have cruise missiles that can sink an aircraft carrier. They also have considerable influence in Iraq, and good relations with many Asian countries as well as Russia. While the US exceptionalists may choose to overlook these factors, thinking despite the evidence that the US invincible, the Israelis surely know what can happen -- so what do they really have in mind?

Any attack in Iran is foolish and a violation of international law. Parenthetically, any attack on Iran will not only be not in the best interest of the United States but would be seriously detrimental to the interests of the United States around the world. An attack by Israel or any other nation upon Iran at this time would constitute a premeditated war of aggression which is the worst of all war crimes.

We know the arguments by heart, right?

"A stable Democracy in one of the most dangerous parts of the world!"

"Israel has no real choice!" (Hey, I remember we used that old chestnut for Iraq!)

"This is an act of self-defense!" (Oh look, we used that one, too!)

"This cannot be delayed any further!"

"America's security is immeasurably enhanced by our strategic alliance with Israel!" (Now there's pants-on-fire one for ya, huh?! Whole Muslim world despises us for picking sides in this utterly asinine Hatfields vs. McCoys mutual hate-fest. Tell this one to the 9/11 victims!

"Israel has always stood by the U.S.!" (except about resolving its ridiculous 60-year old war and also those illegal settlements/land-grabbing)

And the Number One reason! (as always):

"This time we are talking about Israel's right to EXIST!!!"

Sheesh, remember before 9/11 how the right wingers were hosting the Taliban at business meetings and trying to get oil pipelines built? Then AFTER 9/11 they courted liberal support for war by saying how terrible the Taliban are to women.

And when even a nitwit like W. can see that our letting Israel use Iraq's airspace to attack Iran will jeopardize any political progress we're making on the ground, do we really want to push the issue? Oh no, we're not colonizers, we're just letting the one non-Muslim country in the region use the country we invaded as a jumping off point to attack Muslin countries. Nothing to see here!

Well, at least I will have a clear conscience having left the party over their sell-out on healthcare.

I find it interesting that some of these Israeli-American affairs issues - the recent announcement of open defiance on settlements and now the Iran situation - are coming to a head just as Obama and Democrats make their fall push on health care. For one thing, the US and its government are absorbed in the domestic debate. For another, Obama is in a position right now of needing the support of Jewish-American liberals, both in Congress and in the rank and file, to pass health care reform. Netanyahu may be counting on the idea that Obama won't dare do anything to risk dividing the liberal coalition and the American Jewish community at this time.

If Obama is at all serious about the possibility of forestalling war and opening a serious negotiating track with Iran, he is going to have to get the jump on Netanyahu and move the Iran issue to the front-burner, optimal timing or no optimal timing. He needs to try to get a high-profile negotiator into that country and create a strong impression of progress and constructive engagement, and then put Israel in the position of being seen as dropping bombs on peace talks - and American negotiators - if it decides to go to war.

Obama might think that all of the things that are besetting him recently - losing control of the health care debate during the summer; the open defiance of the Israeli government; the blistering and disrespectful attacks from the right on the very legitimacy of his leadership - are all separate. But they are not. Rather, many of his opponents and enemies are moving in for the political kill because they suspect weakness and irresolution. Obama needs to start doing some things to enforce respect, and reassert strength and leadership.

The speech next week is very important, but not just to regain control of the health care debate. Obama needs to begin to reframe the purpose of his presidency; cut the many knots that are attaching him the hideous precedents and entrenched policies of the Bush administration, policies that are nothing less than a degenerative disease in the US body politic; and articulate a clearer vision of our national direction both at home and abroad. What is the Obama era supposed to be? We need to know.

Obama needs to break out of his developing pattern of go-along agreeableness and adjustment to the momentum of historical trends over which he is exerting no control himself, and resist his inclination just to find middle grounds between rocks and hard places as the fatal workings of history unfold. He needs to choose to make that history.

Obama also needs to make it clear that he is wresting control of Middle Eastern affairs from Netanyahu, since the latter is trying to set the agenda himself. Most American Jews don't even like Netanyahu and his embarrassing rightist government, so Obama needs to starting treating Netanyahu with the contempt he deserves. His message to Jewish-Americans should be that Israel's security and long-term survival hang in the balance, and that he is taking full charge of the agenda, in part because the government of Israel is too reckless and incompetent to be entrusted with it themselves.

Obama is President The United States, and that still means something. The presidency possesses vast potential powers, but so far Obama seems reluctant to use them.

Flights over Saudi Arabia to Iran are a bridge too far unless USAF planes and pilots are recruited to refuel Israeli aircraft. They are equipped to do so by design. A joint US/Isaeli/UK "Red Flag" excercise was held recently at Nellis AFB in Nevada that included that scenario. Any speculation about Israeli subs is usually in the context of "second strike" capability.

There is no such thing as Israel "pulling a fast one" on US. Period.

One of the main Israeli complaints about the establishment of the US X_BAND radar base in the Negev is that it is an official AMERICAN military installation (the first one) and completely off-limits to anyone other than the American service personnel manning it. The grumbling from Israelis centers around the fact that we can instantly "see" anything launched anywhere AND monitor all Israeli actions as well.

Then there's this little "heads up" from Imra:

Friday, September 4, 2009 Ben Caspit: Encrypted video link installed between White House and PM's Office

Ben Caspit: Encrypted video link installed between White House and PM's Office

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 4 September 2009

Maariv correspondent Ben Caspit reports in today's edition that an encrypted video link has been installed between the White House and the Prime Minister's Office so that it is possible to hold secure video conferences.

I suppose it is possible that the above was installed in order to discuss whether or not rogue outposts in the WB are actually being dismantled, but....without a translation of the Hebrew article in Maariv, it's difficult to know. Dr Lerner evidently found it significent enough to alert his audience of this development without including translated text from Caspit's article.

bibi has always stressed that Iran, not any deal with Abbas et al, is the numero uno issue and that he is very happy re developments with the Obama administration when it comes to understandings on Iran.

Thanks to MJ for focusing on this issue.

(There is a TPM commenter who will tell you that Israel could launch an effective strike using some combination of nuclear equipped submarine launched missiles and piggy packed drones. That is a pure fantasy based on speculative developments of weapons programs not actually in production. If such an attack was feasible Cordesman and Toukan would have made reference to it.)

I think the factual position is that Israel has at least two nuclear-armed, German made subs capable of sailing down the Red Sea and around Oman to strike at Iran from deep inside the Persian Gulf. They would be supported by US-made F15s of the IAF.

The Israel Project (TIP) is an international non-profit organization devoted to educating the press and the public about Israel while promoting security, freedom and peace.

On the TIP website I didn't see any mention of the Israeli nuclear weapon arsenal, developed outside the purview of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the International Atomic Energy Agency which Israel and the US are using to bludgeon Iran over its nuclear program, which IS under the watchful eye of the IAEA to be sure that Iran adheres to the NPT.

Will the TIP seek peaceful solutions to the Israeli nuclear crisis? Does it believe that strong diplomacy and sanctions can help advert the need for pre-emptive military actions against Israel?

RE: "We are working for peaceful solutions to the Iranian nuclear crisis." - Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, founder and head of The Israel Project

SEE: "Focus Grouping War with Iran" - by Laura Rozen, 11/19/07

A recent Virginia focus group test-marketed language to get tougher on Iran.

(EXCERPT)"...Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, the founder and president of the Israel Project, contacted Mother Jones and said that her group had commissioned the focus group and that it was designed by Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican polling firm...Mizrahi says that her group and Freedom's Watch share a common interest in "thwarting the threat of Islamic extremism" and in "dealing with the threat of Iran." ...
..."Of all the focus groups I've ever been to," Sonnenmark [a participant in the focus group] wrote in a subsequent email ... "I've never seen a moderator who was so persistent in manipulating and leading the participants." The gist of the event was "anti-Iranian," says Sonnenmark...Sonnenmark left the session wondering if foreign policy hawks would soon be pushing publicly for military action against Iran using language that had been tested on her...

ENTIRE ARTICLE - http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2007/11/focus-grouping-war-iran

Plus maybe someone needs to look up 'Babylonian Captivity' and 'Cyrus the Great' and the role of the latter in ending the former. The current emnity of the Shi'ite rulers of Iran against the Likudnik (and successors) rulers of Israel should nor overshadow the fact that the two nations have been natural allies for millenia.

Let's watch and see if we "leave" missile defense systems in Israel post the "Juniper Cobra" exercise in October, shall we?

TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 8 (UPI): Israeli officials say there is a "strong possibility" that the United States will leave missile defense systems in the Jewish state after a joint missile defense exercise planned for Octoberis concluded, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The U.S. missiles, part of the Ballistic Defense Program, would almost certainly remain under U.S. control, but it was not clear whether they would participate in defending Israel against Iranian missiles.

The report indicated that the Americans may deploy the missiles in Israel rather than in the Czech Republic and Poland as planned, in deference to Russia's vehement objections to having U.S. missile systems so close to its border.

U.S. President Barack Obama's administration is seeking to find an accommodation with a resurgent Russia on a host of issues, including having Moscow stop aiding Iran's nuclear program and providing it with advanced weapons systems that could impede any potential pre-emptive military strike.

snip]

However, by redeploying the missiles in Israel, the Americans would be seen to be bolstering the Jewish state's anti-missile defenses against a possible Iranian strike with its Shehab-3 ballistic missiles.

The Shehabs -- Iran is believed to have 80-100 operational -- are expected to be bolstered by more powerful Sajjil-2 missiles now being developed.

By adding U.S. weight to Israel's own anti-ballistic defenses, namely the high-altitude, long-range Arrow-2 interceptor, Washington would be involving itself directly in the defense of Israel.

That would thus raise the stakes to an unprecedented degree in the event of an Iranian attack, either a first strike initiated by Tehran or one retaliating for a pre-emptive Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic.

snip]

The Americans already have a long-range X-Band radar unit operating in Israel. The radar, a key element in the U.S. missile defense array, is intended to give Israel early warning of an Iranian missile launch.

The unit was set up at Nevatim Air Base in the Negev Desert a year ago at the request of the Israeli government and is operated by 100 U.S. personnel.It would be linked to the U.S. missile systems if they are deployed in Israel.

The Jerusalem Post reported that "while the United States has yet to announce it will leave the systems in place here, the possibility is strong,one official said, particularly in light of reports that the Pentagon was conducting a review of its European missile shield."

The daily noted that a "senior Israeli defense official" said that "while the United States has not made an official request to deploy the systemshere, the topic was being discussed in unofficial channels."

The upcoming exercises, codenamed Juniper Cobra, will involve the Arrow-2 system along with the U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system and the ship-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.

http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=45666

Sec Def Gates told Al_Jazeera that the Arab states should ramp up their cooperation and military assets in order to deal with the Iranian "threat".

Sure is a lot of war talk going on without explicitly saying so....but the actual preparations for a war scenario are the critical developments to watch for.