Guardian: US Officials Undermine Sanctions, Fear ’’Israeli’’ Military Action Likely
"If Obama were to conclude that there is no choice but to attack Iran, he is unlikely to order it before the presidential election in November unless there is an urgent reason to do so," the paper informed noting that the "question is whether the "Israelis" will hold back that long."
Guardian UK paper reported Saturday that "officials in key parts of US President Barak Obama administration are increasingly convinced that sanctions will not deter Tehran from pursuing its nuclear program."
According to the paper, the US officials claim that "their country will be left with no option but to launch an attack on Iran or watch "Israel" does so."
The paper further said that "there is a strong current of opinion within the administration - including in the Pentagon and the state department - that believes sanctions are doomed to fail."
"Their principal use now is in delaying "Israeli" military action, as well as reassuring Europe that an attack will only come after other means have been tested," the paper added.
Expressing fear of the consequences of such a move, an official knowledgeable on Middle East policy told the "Guardian" that "the White House wants to see sanctions work. This is not the Bush White House. It does not need another conflict."
"The problem is that the guys in Tehran are behaving like sanctions don't matter ...like "Israel" isn't going to do anything," the official told the famous daily.
According to the Guardian, one former US official stressed that "the question of how serious "Israel" is about military action is part of the calculus behind US policy toward Iran."
"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's announcement this week that Tehran loaded its first domestically-made fuel rod into a nuclear reactor, and its threat to cut oil supplies to six European countries, were read as further evidence that Tehran remains defiantly committed to its nuclear program," the paper added.
Reflecting US clear commitment to the Zionist entity, the paper quoted an official as saying "the sanctions are there to pressure Iran and reassure "Israel" that we are taking this issue seriously."
"Feeding in to the considerations are the timing of the American election, including its bearing on "Israeli thinking", as well as the pace of Iranian advances in their nuclear program," the paper clarified.
Colin Kahl, who was US deputy assistant secretary of War for the Middle East until December told the paper that "part of Washington's calculation is to judge whether "Israel" is seriously contemplating attacking Iran, or is using the threat to pressure the US and Europe into confronting Tehran."
"It's not that the "Israelis" believe the Iranians are on the brink of a bomb. It's that the "Israelis" may fear that the Iranian program is on the brink of becoming out of reach of an "Israeli" military strike, which means it creates a 'now-or-never' moment," he said.
Unveiling that "Israeli" pressure for tougher measures against Tehran played a leading role in the US Congress passing sanctions legislation targeting Iran's financial system and oil sales, the Guardian reported that "there is a school of thought - a suspicion, even - within the administration that Netanyahu might consider the height of the US election campaign the ideal time to attack Iran."
"Doing something before the US gives the "Israelis" a bit more freedom of maneuvers," Kahl stressed.
In parallel, US War Intelligence Agency director Lieutenant General Ronald Burgess told US lawmakers Thursday that "Iran is nowhere near giving up its nuclear aspirations."
Burgess told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that despite the ratcheting up of sanctions on Iran, leaders in Tehran are unlikely to abandon their drive for nuclear weapons.
Predicting that "Iran would respond if attacked but was unlikely to start a conflict itself," the US military official warned that "Iran can close the Strait of Hormuz at least temporarily, and may launch missiles against United States forces and our allies in the region if it is attacked."
"Iran today has the technical, scientific and industrial capability to eventually produce nuclear weapons. While international pressure against Iran has increased, including through sanctions, we assess that Tehran is not close to agreeing to abandon its nuclear program," Burgess said.
Source: Guardian. News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org
