Netanyahu Goes All In With bet on Presidential Race

[MsGuy]

Netanyahu is openly intervening in the US presidential race. If Romney wins, all well and good for Israel, at least until the Dems get back in power. But if Obama's re-elected, then Israel will have opened a real breach with the only reliable ally it has. In fact, the ally on whose goodwill it's national security is entirely dependant.

Netanyahu's problem is that there is no plausible way for Israel to take out Iran's nuclear program on it's on. Further, a clear majority of Israelis oppose any military strike on Iran that does not have the US in active (read military) support. He proposes to square this circle by demanding the US make a public committment to a 'red line' for Iran and a clear threat to attack nuclear support facilities if Iran does not submit. (In the good old days, this kind of diplomacy used to be called an ultimatum.)

Aside from the domestic problem of explaining to an American public who appear to be sick of 10 years of war in the Mideast why we are getting into what appears to be a protracted war with Iran, right now we have the problem that we can't carry a single one of our Nato allies with us on an ultimatum. I only hope Romney can manage to keep at least a little bit of daylight between himself and Netanyahu's scheme to draw us into war.

[Guest hitoallusa]

The US will have to deal with Iran sooner or later... It is an inavoidable issue that needs to be peacefully resolved. Netanyahu got snubbed by Obama so I guess he is not in good mood and want another president so he can push his agenda. A new president who is strongly against Iran's nuclear program will make Iran a bit nervous too.

I just hope Obama administration deals with Iran well. The world economy is so connected these days no one wants to explode a bomb that can kill millions of people unless the person in power is insane. In old days kings took daughters of other nations to warrant peace. Nowadays, economic ties seem to work in a similar way. In my opinion, Iran should be opened up with businessmen and new innovations that will help the public to see new possibilities. Once that happens the change will come in Iran.

Netanyahu is openly intervening in the US presidential race. If Romney wins, all well and good for Israel, at least until the Dems get back in power. But if Obama's re-elected, then Israel will have opened a real breach with the only reliable ally it has. In fact, the ally on whose goodwill it's national security is entirely dependant.

Netanyahu's problem is that there is no plausible way for Israel to take out Iran's nuclear program on it's on. Further, a clear majority of Israelis oppose any military strike on Iran that does not have the US in active (read military) support. He proposes to square this circle by demanding the US make a public committment to a 'red line' for Iran and a clear threat to attack nuclear support facilities if Iran does not submit. (In the good old days, this kind of diplomacy used to be called an ultimatum.)

Aside from the domestic problem of explaining to an American public who appear to be sick of 10 years of war in the Mideast why we are getting into what appears to be a protracted war with Iran, right now we have the problem that we can't carry a single one of our Nato allies with us on an ultimatum. I only hope Romney can manage to keep at least a little bit of daylight between himself and Netanyahu's scheme to draw us into war.

[Guest hitoallusa]

I stand corrected. In a news report, it states that Obama didn't snub Netanyahu so I guess the previous report was wrong. I hate when reporters write something not verified at all from both parties.

[lookin]

Sheldon Adelson has to get something for his $100 million. If not a president, then at least a war with Iran. Just one of today's editorials in his newspaper, Israel Hayom, ends like this:

Meanwhile, on the 11th anniversary of the World Trade Center bombings, Hillary Clinton remains steadfast in her administration’s efforts “to do everything we can to bring Iran to a good-faith negotiation,” and in its attempts to prevent Israel from taking Tehran’s words and deeds seriously.

With such useful idiots in its corner, Iran can laugh its way straight to the bomb. Let us hope that American voters, particularly Jews, do not serve the same purpose for Obama.

"All in" is pretty apt for an 'ally' that calls our Secretary of State a 'useful idiot'. Next ol' Bibi will be angling for a Cabinet position.

[Guest hitoallusa]

He will get tax breaks on 100 million he spends too and will not spend money that much in the end.. Companies 'rotate' cash reserves for some 'tactical' reasons anyway so he is not spending his money after all. If he indeed gets his 2 billion dollars then that is a great investment ever. Romney won't have a chance against Obama so he can only dream. Whatever money Romney spends on the election with the donated money will help the economy a little bit to come back. Some rich people made money not so rightly so what's harm in that they give back some of their illegally earned money to the community like this way. I hope they hire more escorts and have more second and third wives. They need to spend to get the economy going.

[TampaYankee]

I've been waiting of Bebe to drop this shoe. I knew it was coming. With Romney tanking now I guess he figured it was now or never.

His opposition has openly accused him of open meddling in our election to influence the outcome.

Back on this side of the pond, the Romney team shot itself in the foot rushing out a statement on Obama sympathizing with those who killed our Ambassador in Libya. Afterward, they went silent, now waiting for Mitt to walk it back this AM.

[JKane]

I'm all for standing with the Israeli people, who want peace, over the Zionist troublemakers/hardliners they for some reason put into office. Things have seemed fairly quiet lately--or are just getting drowned out by all the noise our own adventures cause over there, but for most of my adult life things would seem relatively smooth then Israel would do something provocative and continue the tit for tat cycle ad nauseam.

[AdamSmith]

Romney team shot itself in the foot

Too soon to gloat, and not to take anything for granted before the shoats are counted, but for sure the Romney team starts to make the Kerry organization look like well-oiled machinery. How can a proven executive surround himself with such klutzes?

...Maybe a comment on how middling-low he has to reach, to find people willing to throw in with him and his cause.

Separate question: how is Bibi polling in his own country? Are his citizenry frothing for an Iran Armageddon as he is? I get the impression not, which of course would further press him to do as he wishes sooner rather than later.

[MsGuy]

If the faction ridden world of Israeli politics has concensus on any two things, it's that Iran's nuclear program is an 'existential threat' (think a collective vision of nukes going off in Tel Aviv & Haifa) and that the tight bi-partisan political support of Israel in the US must be maintained no matter what.

So far the early reaction in Israel to Netanyahu's current shenanigans is mixed. Most folks applaud his effort to squeeze the US for explicit military support for an attack on Iran and, at the same time, most folks are horrified that he appears to be indulging in a partisan political intervention in US presidential politics. Making support for Israel into a partisan political issue in the US strikes most Israelis as suicidal for the Jewish state as Iran having nukes.

At least in the past, Mid-eastern wars have been insanely intense affairs. Munitions and other miltary consumables were blown through at extraordinary rates. Israel has on hand enough stockpile for 10 days to 2 weeks of all out war, tops. After that it must rely on an airlifted flow of munitions from the US strategic inventory (as it did in the Yom Kippur war). W/O that airlift, Isreal would be unable to deal with large convential armies, a circumstance most adult Israelis understand. And if support for Israel becomes a partisan political issue in the US, then every time the Dems control Washington, a window of opportunity could possibly open for Israel's enemies.

Even laying aside thrir own truly weird internal politics, the Iran nukes vs US alliance conundrum makes for a real headbanger for thinking Israelis.

[MsGuy]

If anyone is interested in the video clip that set off the riots, you can google 'Muhamad Movie Trailer' or ' Innocence of Muslims', at least until UTUBE decides to take it down.

The clip is amatuerish in the extreme (my brother did better produced and acted stuff in high school.) Muhammed, PBUH, is depicted as a clownish fraud, a hen pecked womanizer, a child molester, a vicious killer and pretty much a completely lame idiot. It was created under somewhat mysterious circumstances.

Personally I suspect it represents a kind of 'Springtime for Hitler' fraud on the films backers. No way that $5 million dollars (allegedly raised from the film's funders) could possibly have been spent on this piece of shit.

The WSJ gives us what little it has been able to feret out about the film in this article.

[Guest hitoallusa]

Where did FIVE MILLION DOLLARS go???????? It could have been done with only 1000 dollars!! I think the maker of the film got cheated or cheated the people who donated money. Now is this the real movie or a spoof of it???

[MsGuy]

It's the real thing, Hito, such as it is.

The question I'm puzzling over is whether he pocketed the money or whether it only existed in his imagination. Sure as hell didn't go into the film, assuming anything more than the trailer even exists.

Given the uproar this escapade has caused, the truth will out and sooner rather than later. Folks in Israel are already denying the producer is an actual Israeli.

[Guest hitoallusa]

Well I don't think it is because of the movie that this unfortunate event happened. It doesn't make any sense. Why would the attack happen only in Libya and the rest of the middle east is quiet? Of course it could have contributed a little bit but I think the attack was planned in advance and not directly related to the film. The media seems to irrational as usual and can't handle a sensitive issue properly. From now on what about Watson reports news. The problem of super computer is that it can't be subtle. A small nuance in the report might also trigger war. But it will be able to handle it with correct programming.

[Guest hitoallusa]

Well Egypt and now in Yemen... Is the third world war coming? Anyways, the news report states it is because of the film. So who made that stupid film then? Is any terrorist group behind it?

[MsGuy]

AP appears to have a good lead on the actual identity of the fellow behind the movie. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, aka Sam Bacile aka Nicola Basily aka Erwin Salameh, convicted about 2 years ago on Federal bank fraud charges, has some sort of connection to varous anti-Muslim whack groups. He probably is originally Egyptian Coptic.

[Guest hitoallusa]

So I think officials are leaning toward Al Quaeda attack at this point. When will this unfortunate violence stop? It just a vicious cycle there is no end to.

[lookin]

When will this unfortunate violence stop? It just a vicious cycle there is no end to.

I don't have the answer to that question, but I am starting to come to the conclusion that we have been framing it the wrong way.

Most everything I hear or read puts the blame on entire countries, rather than on specific individuals. Labeling an entire country as a 'rogue nation' or a 'hotbed of terrorism' may, in fact, only serve to perpetuate violence in the world. The reality, I believe, is that violence is perpetrated and supported by individuals who are almost invariably a small minority and who can be found in almost every country and in most of the world's major religions.

Unfortunately, members of this violent minority often make their way into positions of leadership within political or religious factions, and those factions sometimes get their hands on the levers of government.

I'd love to see a worldwide movement in which people of good will, who I believe form the vast majority of every country and every religion on earth, stand up and denounce those who would send them to war and cause them to kill off other people of good will.

I don't know how such a movement could be formed and how it could gain the worldwide traction it deserves, but I do know that I'll be thinking about it daily until some ideas start to crop up.

[MsGuy]

So Netanyahu pops up on NBC's "Meet The Press" and lobbies America to elect a president who will "draw a bright red line" on Iran (meaning move 3 or 4 more carrier groups to the Persian Gulf and give 'em an ultimatum).

OK, now if Obama were to plop his ass down on a news program in Tel Aviv during the home stretch of a national election and announce that any Israeli who cared about the US Alliance better hot foot it down to polls and dump Netanyahu, the howls of outrage over America trying to infringe on Israeli sovereignty would wake Helen Keller.

Reports are that Bibi can't muster enough support in Israel to pull a unilateral attack but damned if I can see how this gives him licence to subvert our electoral system to extract a politically motivated commitment to act against the national interest of the United States.

If we come to the conclusion that making pre-emptive war against Iran is what we have to do, well then so be it and we'll just have to live with the consequences. But I'll be damned if that's the kind of decision I want made under the pressures of a hotly contested presidential race with the prime minister of Israel saddling up and publically putting the spurs to the candidates.

NETANYAHU DELENDA EST!