Obama's Forcing Israel to Attack Iran

President accused of 'outsourcing' action against Iran's nuclear program
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 15, 2009 3:54 AM CDT
Obama's Forcing Israel to Attack Iran
A pre-emptive Israeli strike on Iran is likely to happen by next spring, Stephens writes.   (AP Photo/Dan Balilty)

An Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities now looks inevitable and President Obama appears to be doing his best to speed the process along, Bret Stephens writes in the Wall Street Journal. The president has accepted Iran's offer for talks—despite Iran making it clear that its nuclear program won't be up for discussion—Stephens writes, making it clear to Israel's leaders that he's not playing hardball and they must take action themselves to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.

Israel has made its willingness to strike Iran clear in an effort to goad the US into taking a firmer stance on Iran, Stephens argues, but Obama hasn't taken the bait. "President Obama has now ceded the driver's seat on Iran policy to Prime Minister Netanyahu," Stephens concludes, and has apparently failed to realize that while it is certainly in America's best interests for Iran to not acquire a nuclear capability, it shouldn't be Israel that has to take action.
(More Israel stories.)

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