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Flat tire on Salvation Mountain

Friday, September 2, 2016

Same as it ever was

To anybody paying attention it was obvious that Barack Obama was hell bent to reset the United States relationship with Israel and Saudi Arabia from the start.

Boy wonder Ben Rhodes admitted that they were clearly out to create some daylight between the traditional allies and change the existing narrative, including investing themselves in what some would consider the fantasy of a more moderate Iran.

The question now is if the reset is sustainable? From the latest actions of our presumable next President, Hillary Clinton, I think not.

While the Obama Administration has squirmed and waffled on the subject of reauthorization, Hillary yesterday called for a clean renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act, originally passed in 1996. In light of the recent installation of Russian S - 300 missiles around the off limits Fordow Iranian nuclear installation and certain provocative acts by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard around our ships, I think her inclinations are prudent. Call me a sap but I don't necessarily think they can be trusted.

Interestingly and thankfully, most Americans of both parties support her position and are wary of Obama's Iranian follies. And Americans of both parties also tend to support Israel, to the obvious consternation of our President. Obama wants to stop subsidizing Israel's defense industry and has questioned their need to keep a qualitative military edge (QME), according to his then Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. He has no patience for our ostensible allies but his patience towards Teheran appears to know no limits.

Everyday new information comes to light about the weakness of the Iran deal. If its not Iranians taking their own soil samples, it is them controlling the offshore heavy water. Inspector Albright's latest report is not going to calm those lingering fears that we have been had. Turns out there was a whole new set of exemptions that nobody was ever told about.

This administration is doing its utmost to proclaim the Iranians in total compliance and forestall new sanctions. I don't know, definitely out of my pay grade, but my guess is that our President's bold new paradigm will soon be mere dust in the wind.

I was looking at the Iran Project site yesterday, which is pretty pro on the issue of the nuclear deal and learned quite a bit more about the ins and outs of the sanctions issue. You can find it here.

It will be interesting to see if any more daylight appears between Hillary Clinton and our current President. Things could get very icy. But his pet project has been quite sick from the start and may not be too long for this world. And some say that our past relationship with our old allies will never be put back together again. Quite a legacy.


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