BlackFive

There is a nice big sanctions package against Iran's Central Bank just waiting for someone to use it. The problem is that someone is Barack Obama and he is running for re-election. The possibility of rising gas prices could interfere with that, so while Britain and France have done their sanctioning the US sits and waits. Oh and cancels military exercises, lest those cause the reasonable Iranians undue consternation.

The United States and Israel agreed to postpone a large joint military exercise from this spring to late in the year to avoid aggravating an already tense regional situation driven by conflicts with Iran, Israeli media reported Sunday.

I wonder if late in the year will be after the November election? As usual for the Obama team there are no strategic considerations, only political ones. So we waste more time and the Iranians enrich more uranium and the likelihood of an Israeli military strike against the Iranian nuke facilities goes up. Hurrah!

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dempsey is traveling to Israel to ask the Israelis to forego their own security, but I kinda doubt he is gonna hear what Obama wants from Bibi Netanyahu. Does anyone really believe that if Obama scores a job extension, that is when he will get tough with the Iranians? I don't and I am pretty sure the Israelis don't either. So we will keep plucking Iranian sailors out of trouble and wagging our fingers at the Mullahs, and they will keep the centrifuges spinning. My bet is that the delay of that exercise with Israel may be mooted when the Israelis decide the time for practicing has long past.