Two front-page articles in the Sept. 7 issue — “Red Lines On Iran Get Mixed Response In Charlotte” and “If Israel Strikes Iran, How Would U.S. React?” — are the best short summaries of the concerns facing Israel, the United States and other nations about Israel’s dilemma regarding military action against Iran.
To understand it better, one must recall the famous barnyard story about the hen, the cow and the pig arguing about which of them has the most loyalty, concern and devotion to the farmer. After each stated their reason for claiming to be the most loyal and devoted, the pig summarized it by saying to the hen and the cow “each of you make only donations to the farmer, but my sacrifice for him is a true commitment.”
Other than Israel whose existence is threatened by Iran’s expressed intentions, and perhaps Iran’s immediate Arab neighbors in the Persian Gulf area, there are no other countries whose existence and relative safety are militarily threatened by the thought of Iran’s eventually acquiring a nuclear bomb. It is not surprising that those countries are not willing to commit to war to prevent Iran from continuing its nuclear enrichment program.
Israel stands alone in facing the dangers implicit in the prospect of an early achievement of nuclear capability by Iran. Hence, it is understandable that the prime minister of Israel is frustrated at the slow response by members of the international community and the lack of clarity about American intentions as Israel grows ever closer to the point of no return.
Manhattan
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