America Has (Finally) Warned Israel Not to Attack Iran

Israel and Iran, like other countries, have the the right to defend themselves. However, this claim does not give either Iran or Israel the ability to threaten others.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, with his speech given last night (according to Turkish local time) joined the caravan of countries that warned Israel not to attack Iran based on their nuclear program. Warnings about Israel’s attempt to start a new conflict have come from three of the members of the U.N. Security Council (those with the right to veto): Russia, France and China. These nations said that they shared worries about the International Atomic Energy Agency report, leaked that very day to the press, which said that Iran’s nuclear program’s energy production was headed toward the production of many warheads; but they said that they didn’t think stopping this required starting a new aggression.

The reason for the warnings is that the president of Israel, Shimon Peres, announced that his country is closer to a political rather than a diplomatic option in regard to Iran’s nuclear program.

However, the warning’s actual target was not Israel but the United States. This is because it is known that, in relation to Israel, the only nation that can truly affect it is the United States. One day later, America’s strategic partner the United Kingdom (with objections by Russia) announced that they favored sanctions for Iran, and by saying so, indirectly showed that they did not look favorably upon a military option. For this reason, attention has turned to America. Therefore, Panetta’s announcement can be seen as a step in the direction of reducing the possibility of a conflict between Iran and Israel, which had seen an increase in tension in the last few days. It is understood that the U.S. took this attitude after carefully reading the international pulse and used in a measured fashion the expression that an attack by Israel on Iran “could have unintended results.”

The unique Israeli reflex of “never again,” that it is better to survive when being hit rather than taking a fatal blow, is not something that will prevent Israel from attacking Iran. However, if Israel considers how dependent it is on American intelligence, military and most importantly, political support (as was seen in the 1981 attack on an Iraqi nuclear reactor) it can be said that İsrael, in the near future, will not be receiving support from the U.S. to attack.

This will also open Iran and their nuclear program to the the full control of the IAEA and, as Panetta said, enable Iran to join the international family, which will allow countries who have particular influence over Iran such as Russia, Germany and Turkey to increase their diplomatic efforts.

Iran, just like Israel and other countries, has the right to defend itself. However, this allowance does not give Iran or Israel the right to threaten others. Now it is time to speed up diplomacy and work to prevent another conflict in the area.

Athens and Rome

Athens is considered the cradle of democracy; democracy is a Greek word after all. Rome in ancient times was the capital in which state government and legal rules were put in place. The Italians were the inventors of banking, and the word “bank” has its roots in the Italian language. The roots of Europe and, today, the European Union, are to be found in Rome and Athens.

Athens from yesterday on, has begun to be directed, not by a politician chosen by an election, but instead by a bureaucrat, Lucas Papadimos, who is an old manager of the European Central Bank. On the night Yorgos Papandreu declared austerity measures to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he dismissed the chief of the general staff and the commanders of the military. He was afraid of being defeated by a military coup, alternately intimidating and backing up his subordinates. But he could not be could not be saved from defeat by an economic coup.

In a few days Rome will also begin to be governed by Mario Monti, a bureaucrat who was a commissioner of the European Union. It is being said that it is Portugual’s turn. No one even wants to mention Spain’s name. Europe’s current appearance doesn’t leave room for comment.