Well, people, the matter of Israel at the core of two epic issues remains, the matter of a peace agreement with the Palestinians and the matter of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. So, while Barack Obama has capitulated with Iran with wide spread news and failures, Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is in Israel gaining an assessment on Israel’s war plans with Iran.
ABOARD A GOVERNMENT AIRCRAFT — Israel and the United States are now in broad agreement about the threat that Iran poses to the region and how to deal with it, the top US military official said Tuesday.
“I think they are satisfied that we have the capability to use a military option if the Iranians choose to stray off the diplomatic path,” Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said of Israeli officials. “I think they are satisfied we have the capability. I think they believe we will use it.”
Acknowledging there were differences in the past, Dempsey said Israel and the United States are closer now in their assessment of the threat Iran poses and America’s willingness to act.
Dempsey made the remarks after wrapping up a two-day visit to Israel, where he met with military and government officials.
The international community has reached an agreement with Iran to lessen sanctions against the country in return for curbing its nuclear program.
In the past, Israeli officials have expressed wariness about the international accord with Iran and also disagreed with the United States at times over the pace at which Iran could field a nuclear weapon. Israel had raised the prospect of a unilateral attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“Our clocks are more harmonized than they were two years ago,” Dempsey said.
“They just wanted to know that we are maintaining and continuing to refine our military options,” he said.
Jim Michaels writes for USA Today.
Then the matter of John Kerry and his broken talks with Abbas, Kerry bailed out.
JERUSALEM, Jan. 13 (UPI) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called off his Monday visit to Israel at the last minute, Israeli broadcaster Arutz Sheva reported.
The cancellation is apparently in reaction to poor results in Kerry’s attempt to broker an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the broadcaster said.
The next stages of the diplomatic negotiations were expected to be finalized at Monday’s meeting.
Currently, Israel hasn’t responded to Kerry’s suggested security arrangements in the Jordan Valley that would replace the presence of Israeli troops.
The Palestinian Authority objects to Israel’s demand that Israel be recognized as the state of the Jewish people. It also refuses to give up on the so-called “right of return” for displaced Arabs and their descendants to Israel.
Oh yeah, one more thing, the issue of releasing Jonathan Pollard just to keep the talks moving forward, well that is for the most part off too. Pollard does not want to be released just to save John Kerry and the White House….I don’t blame him.
