Joe Biden warned that America’s enemies would test Barack Obama with an international crisis within six months if he’s elected president – a shocking comment John McCain eagerly pounced on yesterday to claim Obama isn’t ready to be commander-in-chief.
“Mark my words,” Biden told donors at a Seattle fund-raiser Sunday night.
“It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America.
“Watch. We’re going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.
“And he’s going to need help . . . to stand with him. Because it’s not going to be apparent initially; it’s not going to be apparent that we’re right.”
McCain treated Biden’s comments as a gift while stumping across Missouri yesterday.
“The next president won’t have time to get used to the office. We face many challenges here at home and many enemies abroad in this dangerous world,” McCain said. “We don’t want a president who invites ‘testing’ from the world at a time when our economy is in crisis and Americans are already fighting two wars.”
McCain said it was even “more troubling” that Biden suggested supporters stick by Obama if the actions he takes are wrong or unpopular.
“Senator Obama won’t have the right response, and we know that because we’ve seen the wrong response from him over and over during this campaign,” he said.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10212008/news/politics/joe_doh_puts_o_in_crisis_mode_134547.htm
A weak Obama administration would be just the invitation Iran needs to ‘generate a crisis’; go from just talking trash about Israel and actually fulfilling Amahdinejad’s vision of “wiping it off the face of the earth.”
A recent case in point:
Senior Tehran officials are recommending a preemptive strike against Israel to prevent an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear reactors, a senior Islamic Republic official told foreign diplomats two weeks ago in London.http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1030279.html
The official, Dr. Seyed G. Safavi, said recent threats by Israeli authorities strengthened this position, but that as of yet, a preemptive strike has not been integrated into Iranian policy.
Safavi is head of the Research Institute of Strategic Studies in Tehran, and an adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The institute is directly affiliated with Khamenei’s office and with the Revolutionary Guards, and advises both on foreign policy issues.
Safavi is also the brother of Yahya Rahim Safavi, who was the head of the Revolutionary Guards until a year ago and now is an adviser to Khamenei, and holds significant influence on security matters in the Iranian government.
An Israeli political official said senior Jerusalem officials were shown Safavi’s remarks, which are considered highly sensitive. The source said the briefing in London dealt with a number of issues, primarily a potential Israeli attack on an Iranian reactor.
Safavi said a small, experienced group of officials is lobbying for a preemptive strike against Israel. “The recent Israeli declarations and harsh rhetoric on a strike against Iran put ammunition in these individuals’ hands,” he said.
Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz said in June that Israel would be forced to strike the Iranian nuclear reactor if Tehran continues to pursue its uranium enrichment program.
Safavi said Tehran recently drafted a new policy for responding to an Israeli or American attack on its nuclear facilities. While the previous policy called for attacks against Israel and American interests in the Middle East and beyond, the new policy is to target Israel alone.
He added that many Revolutionary Guard leaders want to respond to a U.S. attack on Iranian soil by striking Israel, as they believe Israel would be partner to any U.S. action.
Or…Israel could pull off a preemptive strike even before Obama gets to place his hand on the koran for the inauguration.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton made a prediction in June:
NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: All right, not if, but when? We have heard a warning Israel will strike Iran to stop it from making nukes. Now, today, we are hearing that it could happen before the next U.S. president is sworn in.
JOHN BOLTON: Well, my prediction is, if Israel decides to use military force — I don’t think they have come to a decision point yet, although I think they are considering it very seriously — my theorization was on the timing if they decide to go.
CAVUTO: And your argument was, right after the election is the best time, because the present White House occupant is on his way out. The new guy can’t really do anything in the interim. The world is going to make a big fuss, but it is a done deal, right?
BOLTON: Well, I think the Israelis for some time had counted on the possibility of the U.S. using military force. But I think the Bush administration is not likely to do that.
So, that requires the Israelis to come to grips with the issue. And I think they would want to have some feeling that, if they did use military force, the United States would be on their side at least after the fact. With eight years of proven good relationships with the Bush administration, I think that pushes them in the direction of doing something before this administration leaves office.
Israel knows if Obama gets elected, they cannot rely on him for support against Iran, militarily or politically. So, a preemptive strike is not out of the question.
It remains to be seen just how far the current or next administration will allow Iran’s nuclear threat to go before someone lobs a couple of MOABS at Tehran.
Continued success against Islamic aggression and deterrence against future attacks will depend on a strong, no bullshit leader who’s not afraid to tell dipshits like Ahmadinejad to pound sand in his ass, instead of ‘negotiating without preconditions’ and talking while Iran loads missiles.
Hint: It ain’t Obama.