Great news if true. From the Guardian:
Tension between the US and Iran heightened dramatically today with the disclosure that Barack Obama is deploying a missile shield to protect American allies in the Gulf from attack by Tehran.
The US is dispatching Patriot defensive missiles to four countries – Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait – and keeping two ships in the Gulf capable of shooting down Iranian missiles. Washington is also helping Saudi Arabia develop a force to protect its oil installations.
American officials said the move is aimed at deterring an attack by Iran and reassuring Gulf states fearful that Tehran might react to sanctions by striking at US allies in the region. Washington is also seeking to discourage Israel from a strike against Iran by demonstrating that the US is prepared to contain any threat.
The deployment comes after Obama's attempts to emphasise diplomacy over confrontation in dealing with Iran – a contrast to the Bush administration's approach – have failed to persuade Tehran to open its nuclear installations to international controls. The White House is now trying to engineer agreement for sanctions focused on Iran's Revolutionary Guard, believed to be in charge of the atomic programme.
Washington has not formally announced the deployment of the Patriots and other anti-missile systems, but by leaking it to American newspapers the administration is evidently seeking to alert Tehran to a hardening of its position.
The administration is deploying two Patriot batteries, capable of shooting down incoming missiles, in each of the four Gulf countries. Kuwait already has an older version of the missile, deployed after Iraq's invasion. Saudi Arabia has long had the missiles, as has Israel.
An unnamed senior administration official told the New York Times: "Our first goal is to deter the Iranians. A second is to reassure the Arab states, so they don't feel they have to go nuclear themselves. But there is certainly an element of calming the Israelis as well."
Let's pick the story apart a bit:
"Tension between the US and Iran heightened dramatically today with the disclosure that Barack Obama is deploying a missile shield to protect American allies in the Gulf from attack by Tehran."
Better "tension" now than a continued total rollover by the West, followed by Armageddon later.
"Washington is also seeking to discourage Israel from a strike against Iran by demonstrating that the US is prepared to contain any threat."
Obama may want to convince Israel that "the US is prepared to contain any threat," but is the US really prepared to "contain" "any" threat? Obama has not shown that sort of resolve on any military issue to to date.
Besides, what does "containing" a nuclear threat mean? You either prevent the attack, or you don't. There is no "containing."
"The deployment comes after Obama's attempts to emphasise diplomacy over confrontation in dealing with Iran – a contrast to the Bush administration's approach – have failed to persuade Tehran to open its nuclear installations to international controls."
Yes, Obama has wasted an entire year supposedly "contrasting" with Bush's approach. In reality, it's been one long multi-year attempt to appease Iran. It hasn't worked.
"Washington has not formally announced the deployment of the Patriots and other anti-missile systems, but by leaking it to American newspapers the administration is evidently seeking to alert Tehran to a hardening of its position."
This casts doubt on Obama's seriousness. The missile shield should be deployed, period, regardless of promises or lack of promises from Iran. Iran has proven again and again that it cannot be trusted. Even if Iran were temporarily to halt its nuclear program, it would be foolish not to deploy the missile shield. The security of free nations should not depend on the whims of tyrannies.
"An unnamed senior administration official told the New York Times: "Our first goal is to deter the Iranians. A second is to reassure the Arab states, so they don't feel they have to go nuclear themselves. But there is certainly an element of calming the Israelis as well."
If the Administration really is speaking of terms of "calming the Israelis," it should be called out for its condescending, arrogant tripe. "Calm the Israelis" indeed. Israel has been through more than Barack Obama can imagine, and it has met with countless murderous, genocidal attacks with dignity and fortitude.
Update: Does this explain the Administration's suddenly reasonable approach to Iran -- i.e., not the usual 110% appeasement? New headline at DrudgeReport at this hour:
AHMADINEJAD: 'Iran will deliver telling blow to global powers on Feb. 11'...
The link to Iranian Press TV was overloaded but is now reachable. Here's the text:
'Iran will deliver telling blow to global powers on Feb. 11'Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the nation will deliver a harsh blow to the "global arrogance" on this year's anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
"The Islamic Revolution opened a window to liberty for the human race, which was trapped in the dead ends of materialism," Ahmadinejad said during a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
"If the Islamic Revolution had not occurred, liberalism and Marxism would have crushed all human dignity in their power-seeking and money-grubbing claws. Nothing would have remained of human and spiritual principles," he added.
Ahmadinejad said that in the three decades of its history, the Islamic Revolution had inspired some great developments in the world.
The Iranian president made the remarks as the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution approaches.
Iranians are expected to pour into the streets on February 11 to celebrate the occasion in public rallies across the country, as they have done annually over the past three decades.
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