Obama Bomb Drama

?In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama said, “America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal. But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible.”?

?This quote sounds like sabre-rattling. The phrase “no options off the table” implies that military intervention is being seriously considered.?

?With this sense of urgency in mind, we should ask a couple of questions: Is Iran trying to develop nuclear weapons, and should we ??intervene if it is??

?The first question is not a simple one. Iran claims it is developing uranium enrichment technologies for peaceful energy and ??medical purposes. The United States is not convinced, but no solid evidence has proved that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.?

?The International Atomic Energy Agency, which is part of the United Nations, visited Iran this week to “resolve all outstanding substantive issues” in a “constructive spirit,” trusting that Iran would cooperate and share that spirit.?

?Iran praised the talks as being “constructive and positive.” ?So why can’t the president be more constructive and positive??

?Recently, a number of Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated, and Iran blames Israel and the U.S.?

?The New York Times reported that Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton “categorically” denied “any United States involvement in any kind of act of violence inside Iran” in response to the most recent murder Jan. 11.?

?Israel is believed to be the main force behind these escalating covert attacks, but based on Obama’s recent rhetoric, it appears he is considering joining in.?

?We think Obama’s position is overly aggressive, considering that Iran simply might want domestic nuclear power. We have it, and so do lots of ?other countries.?

?Obama’s statement seems to be a play for re-election, because it appears more Americans want a strong president than ??a rational one.?

?Crowds booed GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul for suggesting that U.S. foreign policy should resemble the Christian golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”?

?Clearly, American exceptionalism remains very much a part of the mainstream, despite the apparent religious hypocrisy.?

?There is no doubt that Iran seriously abuses human rights within its borders, but we can’t assume such practices will translate to nuclear warfare.?

?Nuclear warfare means mutual destruction. The U.S. has thousands of nukes, and Israel remains tight-lipped about its nuclear power. Iran knows this and understands the ??implications.?

?The real issue is the potential for military warfare. Iran said if the West places sanctions against it, the country will close the Strait of Hormuz, which provides a travel route for large quantities of oil.?

?Such sanctions are likely and so is a closure. Considering Obama’s aggressive stance, war might be next.?