Like Peter Beinart, I'm mildly heartened by evidence that "Obama's backbone vis Bibi [is] proving infectious" on Capitol Hill. Yet I'm troubled by a perhaps random note in Barney Frank's otherwise forceful message to Bibi to back off (as reported by the Hill's Julian Pecquet):
Showing posts with label red lines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label red lines. Show all posts
Monday, September 24, 2012
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Netanyahu drives his bus at Obama
Three thoughts about what Netanyahu told David Gregory on Meet the Press today.
First, Gregory failed to press Netanyahu on exactly what kind of red line -- that is, a tripwire that would bring on a US attack if Iran crossed it -- he was calling for. Obama has already laid down a red line: Iran cannot produce a nuclear weapon. What's Bibi's? Gregory didn't ask, exactly. He asked whether Iran had already crossed Israel's red line. Netanyahu said, "they're in the red zone" -- they're within 20 yards. But the discussion of that point remained metaphorical, and therefore close to meaningless.
Second, though both the U.S. and Israel assert that Iran cannot be allowed to produce a nuclear weapon, there is a real difference in threat perception. Here's Bibi on the danger of a nuclear Iran:
First, Gregory failed to press Netanyahu on exactly what kind of red line -- that is, a tripwire that would bring on a US attack if Iran crossed it -- he was calling for. Obama has already laid down a red line: Iran cannot produce a nuclear weapon. What's Bibi's? Gregory didn't ask, exactly. He asked whether Iran had already crossed Israel's red line. Netanyahu said, "they're in the red zone" -- they're within 20 yards. But the discussion of that point remained metaphorical, and therefore close to meaningless.
Second, though both the U.S. and Israel assert that Iran cannot be allowed to produce a nuclear weapon, there is a real difference in threat perception. Here's Bibi on the danger of a nuclear Iran:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)