FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog

Less than a week before the United Nations Security Council deadline for Iran to halt uranium enrichment.

U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, left, retired Air Force Gen. Lloyd W. Newton, center, and Conn. Gov. M. Jodi Rell speak with the media at the Base Closure and Realignment Commission forum, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006, in Waterford Conn. A year after sparing Submarine Base New London from closure, supporters were meeting Thursday to devise ways to keep Connecticut’s largest military installation off future cost-savings plans at the Pentagon.

AP: Lieberman to consider Iraq pullout plan

Sen. Joe Lieberman, the three-term Democrat whose independent campaign for re-election is being seen as a referendum on the Iraq war, said Friday he would consider taking a look at a fellow lawmaker’s proposal for a timeline for troop withdrawals.

The proposal was floated by Republican Rep. Chris Shays, another Connecticut politician facing a tough re-election battle with an anti-war candidate. Shays has long been a supporter of the war and previously opposed withdrawal timetables.

“It seems to me that Chris is saying, maybe we ought to set some goals for when we want to get out, and I’d like to see what he has in mind before I comment on it,” Lieberman said while campaigning in New Haven.

“As I’ve said to you over and over again, the sooner we get out of Iraq, the better it’s going to be for the Iraqis and us, but if we leave too soon for reasons of American politics, it’s going to be disaster for the Iraqis and for us,” he said.

Shays proposed a timeline Thursday on a telephone conference call from London with reporters following his 14th visit to Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

“We should be able to tell the American people what kind of timeline we can have to begin to draw down our troops,” he said. “It may be a timeline the American people don’t want to hear. It may not be something that brings them out quickly.”

Politics don’t you love it.

Is this a serious proposal?

Sort of….a proposal to win re-election.

The LEFT BLOGOSPHERE is going to love this, especially on the day Lieberman was allowed to stay on Democrat Party rolls and Hillary Clinton finally KISSED Ned Lamont’s ASS.

Previous:

Senator Joe Lieberman Watch: Lieberman Certified to Appear on Connecticut Ballot

Senator Joe Lieberman Watch: More Dirty Politics from the Lamont Left

LGF: Who’s Looking for Al-Manar TV?

Courtesy of Google Trends, here are the countries whose citizens are searching the web for links to the Hizballah hate channel Al-Manar. (Hat tip: Egfrow.)

Hummmmmm, alot of France and Canadian hits, eh?

Previous:

Michael Ramirez on France, Lebanon and the United Nations

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gestures while standing under a huge picture of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, June 3, 2006. Iran’s reply to a big power offer of incentives to end sensitive nuclear work asks for a timeline to implement the package and specifics on security arrangements, two Iranian experts said in a Web site report on Thursday.

Reuters: Russia rejects sanctions against Iran

Russia on Friday rejected any talk for now of sanctions against Iran and France warned against conflict with Tehran, raising doubt whether it will face swift penalties for not halting nuclear work by an August 31 deadline.

Responding to an offer of economic incentives to stop enriching uranium, Iran hinted to six world powers on Tuesday it could curb its program as a result of talks to implement the package — but not as a precondition as they demand.

The reply seemed designed to crack the ramshackle united front of four Western powers and Russia and China behind the U.N. Security Council deadline. The West sees Iran’s nuclear work as a looming threat to peace. Russia and China do not.

“I know of no instances in world practice and previous experience in which sanctions have achieved their aim and proved effective,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told reporters during a trip to Russia’s far east.

“Moreover, I believe that the question is not so serious at the moment for the U.N. Security Council or the group of six to consider any introduction of sanctions. Russia stands for further political and diplomatic efforts to settle the issue.”

No surprise here. Russia and China will NEVER support economic or any other meaningful United Nations Security Council sanctions against Iran. Both countries are either dependent on either oil or oil revenues for their economies and they will NOT cut off their economies in spite of the United States and Israel.

So, what should the United States do?

NOTHING

The P-5-Plus-1 proposal is DEAD because Iran does NOT agree to a halt in uranium enrichment. No carrots for Iran.

Direct negotiations between the United States and Iran over their nuclear program, the Iraq War and other matters is OVER before they even started since Iran will NOT agree to a halt in uranium enrichment.

The United States should VETO any United Nations Security Resolution that does not impose meaningful economic, trade, travel sanctions against Iran for NOT stopping uranium enrichment, providing Iran misses the August 31 UNSC deadline.

Charles Krauthammer has The Perils Of Using ‘The Allies’

Realistically speaking, the point of this multilateral exercise cannot be to stop Iran’s nuclear program by diplomacy. That has always been a fantasy. It will take military means. There would be terrible consequences from an attack. These must be weighed against the terrible consequences of allowing an openly apocalyptic Iranian leadership to acquire weapons of genocide.

The point of the current elaborate exercise in multilateral diplomacy is to slightly alter that future calculation. By demonstrating extraordinary forbearance and accommodation, perhaps we will have purchased the acquiescence of our closest allies — Britain, Germany and, yes, France — to a military strike on that fateful day when diplomacy has run its course.

Israel is prepared to go it alone against Iran.

So, should the United States.

No more talks - PREPARE THE MILITARY DETERRENCE AND MISSILE DEFENSE.

Previous:

Iran Nuclear Watch: Israel Sending a “CLEAR” Message to Iran

Iran Nuclear Watch: Germany - Iran’s Response to P-5-Plus-1 Proposal is Unsatisfactory

Iran Nuclear Watch: P-5-Plus-1 - Will Likely Reject Tehran’s Terms for Talks

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran to Announce Nuclear “Breakthrough”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Showdown at United Nations Next Week?

Iran Nuclear Watch: Carrot and Stick?

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Responds to the P-5-Plus-1

Michael Ramirez on Nuclear Iran and the United Nations

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - “The Iranian People Will Make You Bow and Surrender”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Blocks United Nations Nuclear Inspections

Iran Nuclear Watch: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - Iran Will Continue Nuclear Program

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Says It Will NOT Halt Uranium Enrichment

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Military Exercises to Test Asymmetrical Warfare Combat Doctrine

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Information Blackout - Police Destroying Satellite Dishes in Tehran

Iran Nuclear Watch: United States Ready to Impose United Nations Sanctions on Iran Over Uranium Enrichment

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Ready to Discuss Suspension of Uranium Enrichment?

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Cleric Ahmad Khatami Warns Israel of Missile Attack

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Rejects “ILLEGAL International Obligations” of the United Nations Security Council

The Iran Nuclear Files

The Natanz uranium enrichment complex in Natanz is pictured in this January 2, 2006 satellite image.

Day By Day by Chris Muir