In this update on my previous posts, and after laying out the situation in the Middle East and the argument I think will prevail, there’s more news on several fronts. First, Lebanon has finally grasped the desperation of their situation with respect to Hezbollah, and backed away from its bold moves of last week.

Next, we finally know the President’s feelings about extending negotions much longer, stated in his own words during an address to the Knesset:

Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: “Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.” We have an obligation to call this what it is — the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.
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America stands with you in breaking up terrorist networks and denying the extremists sanctuary. America stands with you in firmly opposing Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions. Permitting the world’s leading sponsor of terror to possess the world’s deadliest weapons would be an unforgivable betrayal for future generations. For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

And Secretary Gates gave a hint of what any military action might look like:

Addressing those who question whether the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan has left the Army stretched to the breaking point and the nation unprepared for other conflicts, he acknowledged that “it is true that we would be hard pressed to launch a major conventional ground operation elsewhere in the world at this time.”

But he warned any adversary against thinking that the United States had dropped its guard, saying that while the Army and the Marines carried the brunt of the nation’s current combat effort, the Air Force and the Navy would be “America’s main strategic deterrent” against potential adversaries like Iran, North Korea and China.

Finally, Israel’s Prime Minister stated a bit more strongly that efforts to contain Iran may be moving beyond tough talk:

“[Israel and America] are on the same page. We both see the threat … And we both understand that tangible action is required to prevent the Iranians from moving forward on a nuclear weapon,” Olmert spokesman Mark Regev said on Friday.

Regev described diplomatic efforts so far to exert pressure on Iran as “positive”, but added: “It is clearly not sufficient and it’s clear that additional steps will have to be taken”.

Asked about the option of using military force, Regev said: “Leaders of many countries have talked about many options being on the table and, of course, Israel agrees with that.”

President Bush flies next to a number of Arab allies and partners in the region for more talks.

Read part 6 in this series.

Trackposted to Diary of the Mad Pigeon, Nuke Gingrich, third world county, McCain Blogs, Kodera’s Korner, The World According to Carl, Pirate’s Cove, Oblogatory Anecdotes, The Pink Flamingo, Cao’s Blog, and , thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 16th, 2008 and is filed under Foreign Policy, Iran, Terrorism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.