When the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington released a report last week saying that Iran has the ability to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a nuclear bomb within weeks, one could almost hear U.S. President Barack Obama’s heart sink.
His despair was not due to the findings of the report. Rather, it was because of the effect they would have on his ability to persuade Congress to ease up sanctions on the Islamic republic, to give diplomacy a chance.
Not only that. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been making it difficult for the fabulists on Capitol Hill to tout Iranian President Hasan Rouhani as a moderate — which, of course, he is not. What he is, as Netanyahu has pointed out, is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
The ISIS assessments, then, are highly inconvenient for the Obama administration, which keeps assuring Netanyahu and members of Congress who believe that sanctions should be increased that the U.S. will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attended a nuclear disarmament gala in Washington, where he reiterated his administration’s belief that Rouhani’s willingness to engage in talks constitutes “an opportunity to try to put to test whether or not Iran really desires to pursue only a peaceful program, and will submit to the standards of the international community in the effort to prove that to the world.”
He also made a veiled dig at Netanyahu’s repeated warnings about Iran’s use of dialogue as a cover for stepped-up centrifuge activity. The U.S., he said, would not let “fear tactics” interfere with its intention to give Iran the benefit of the doubt.
But just to be on the safe side, the White House hastily organized a National Security Council briefing for Jewish leaders on Tuesday. Enlisting the support of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League would be one way of putting pressure on Congress to take a more conciliatory stance in relation to Iran.
More specifically, Obama wants to buy time until the next round of talks between the P5+1 countries (Russia, the United States, China, France and Britain — plus Germany) and Iran, scheduled for Nov. 7-8.
Though the Obama administration is moron-heavy, this particular manipulation on its part was pretty clever. After all, there is nothing that organization heads covet more than having access to the White House and being privy to inside dope.
One can only imagine how important these leaders must have felt to be summoned to a hush-hush meeting with National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman and Deputy National Security Advisers Antony Blinken and Ben Rhodes.
Indeed, if the statement released by the Conference of Presidents on Tuesday night is anything to go by, Obama must be feeling extremely pleased with himself.
“Leaders of several Jewish organizations participated in an off-the-record discussion with senior administration officials about issues of the highest priority for the U.S., for our community and for America’s allies, halting Iran’s nuclear weapons program,” it read.
“We had a constructive and open exchange and agreed to continue the consultation to enhance the prospect of achieving a transparent and effective diplomatic resolution. We welcome the reaffirmation of the president’s commitment to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear capability and that all options remain viable to assure that end.”
Obama’s mission, like Rouhani’s, is being accomplished. What this means is that Netanyahu’s had better be in an advanced stage of planning.
Ruthie Blum is the author of “To Hell in a Handbasket: Carter, Obama, and the ‘Arab Spring.'”
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