Here’s the premise: If you were to bet on the outcome of a “discussion” between a political newbie who has never actually accomplished anything in the area of political negotiation and a seasoned professional who is the first president of the Iranian Islamic Republic not to be a religious cleric in 24 years, served as mayor of Tehran, was the governor general of Ardabil Province, and served in the Iran–Iraq War as a member of Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution, who would you put your money on?
OK, now get out your wallets and lay down your bets. POTUS is about to get schooled hard and fast.
Yesterday, President Kumbaya Obama announced that he will live up to another campaign promise: He will engage in talks with Iran “with no preconditions.” The last time I saw such naivete, my nephew was two years old and thought I had really stolen his nose.
After hearing Obama’s immaculate pronouncement, word has it Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad laughed so hard he had doogh coming out of his nose.
Let’s see how he’s reacted to the news that the POTUS wishes to speak with him on whatever issues and terms Mah wants. Surely he’ll welcome the chance to have a beer with The Chosen One, right?
Uh, not so much. He responded with some sizable preconditions (demands) of his own, starting with an apology for (alleged) U.S. war crimes, ”profound changes” in U.S. foreign policy which includes giving up support for Israel. My guess is that upon hearing Ahmadinejad’s response, Harry “Traitor” Reid wired Mahmood back, “You had me at ’give up’.”
As any first-year Political Science student knows, when you are the 800 pound gorilla, and you are challenged by a rhesus monkey, you begin any discussion or negotiation by making sure the rhesus monkey fully understands the extent of your differences. Obama must have been smoking a doobie with William Ayers on the day that was covered at Columbia. He also must have been absent from Planet Earth this past Monday when al Qaeda attacked the American Embassy in Yeman. Ya see, Barry, things in this part of the world DO requre some preconditions. There’s some bad stuff going on over there, Mr. President. It’s been in all the papers and everything.
Of course Obama will have no problem apologizing for the alleged “War Crimes” as it gives him another opportunity to posture as he conveniently throws George Bush under the wheels once more “with feeling.”
But how will he spin any attempts to have discussions with Ahmadinejad? It’s a no-win situation for Obama and Mah knows it. Obama’s only hope is that something happens in the meantime to prevent any such discussion from occurring. And if that “something” happens to be an incident between Israel and Iran, oh boy, won’t that be convenient?
Gee, I can remember… it wasn’t all that long ago we had a President who kept our enemies at bay by making our adversaries acknowledge our military strength. This new venture by Obama has disaster written all over it. And how will the Obamanites explain this away? Will Chris Matthews’ leg finally stop tingling? Will Keith Olbermann have an fantasy that doesn’t involve getting into a hot tub with Obama?
Or, more to the point: Will Israel tire of our Democratic leadership’s inability to take a stand against tyranny the way we used to and decide to handle Iran themselves?
“Kumbaya, my lord… Kumbaya…”
Gerry Ashley
