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Subscribe to RSSPresident Barack Obama said he's not bluffing about using military action if needed to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
Just days before what could be the most consequential meeting of U.S. and Israeli leaders in years, aides to President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are scrambling to bridge stark differences over what Washington fears could be an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear sites.
With tensions between Israel and Iran running sky high, U.S. officials and military analysts are growing concerned that Israel will launch a multi-phase air and missile attack that could trigger waves of retaliatory missile strikes from Tehran.
That could quickly spiral into a regional conflict that would potentially force the U.S. to intervene to protect its interests.
Israeli voters disapprove of attack on Iran without US help
Further complicating Monday's White House talks is a trust deficit between the two men that has been magnified by mounting pressures of the U.S. presidential campaign. Obama's Republican foes are eager to paint him as too tough on Israel and too soft on Iran.
Willbur Ross, Chairman & CEO of W.L. Ross & Co., weighs in on the GOP presidential race and gives GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney a thumbs up.
Netanyahu is coming to Washington to press Obama to more forcefully declare "red lines" that Iran must not cross in its nuclear program, Israeli officials say, even as speculation mounts that the Jewish state could act militarily on its own in coming months.
"If you don't want me to attack now, I want guarantees," an Israeli official quoted Netanyahu telling top Obama aides who visited Jerusalem last month. "If you're saying, 'we'll take care of you', you're not saying that clearly enough."
US, Britain urge Israel not to attack Iran
The White House has signaled that Obama, who has pledged to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon but has been vague on how far he is prepared to go, will resist pressure for a public policy shift.
Time running out?
Instead, amid growing signs that U.S.-led international sanctions are starting to take a toll on Iran, he will seek to persuade Netanyahu to hold off on any military strike to give those measures and diplomacy time to work, U.S. officials say.
But Israeli officials say they fear that time is running out for an effective Israeli attack as Iran buries its uranium enrichment program deeper underground.
Monday's meeting was supposed to have been a defining moment for the American and Israeli leaders, a chance to present a united front as international pressure on Iran intensifies.
NBC's Bob Windrem joins NewsNation to discuss.
Calls for a tougher approach on Iran are also coming from Republican presidential hopefuls, who see Obama as vulnerable on the issue as he seeks re-election and will seize on any public rift with Netanyahu.
Netanyahu will be pushing not only for Obama's acceptance of whatever action Israel decides to take but for stronger language against Iran that goes beyond the "all options are on the table" mantra on U.S. intentions, Israeli officials said.
Fears grow of Israel-Iran missile shootout
Washington has been working to convince the Israelis that a go-it-alone attack would cause only a temporary setback to Tehran's nuclear ambitions while possibly plunging the already-volatile Middle East into chaos.
And Obama's aides insist that an explicit U.S. military threat would be counterproductive right now, especially due to the potential for further spikes in global oil prices and the risk that Tehran might backtrack on overtures seen as opening the door to renewed nuclear talks with world powers.
At schools, in shops, and on the streets of big cities and small towns, daily life plays out in Iran.
But a source close to the administration's thinking on Iran told Reuters the president might try to placate some of Netanyahu's concerns in private and could also pledge even more sanctions to tighten the vise on Tehran.
The White House has proposed the two leaders issue a joint statement after they meet, but the idea has yet to be firmed up, an Israeli official said. A show of solidarity on certain issues might help keep differences under wraps on others.
An administration official also would not rule out the possibility that Obama could harden some of his rhetoric on Iran when he addresses the largest U.S. pro-Israel lobby in Washington on Sunday, the day before he sees Netanyahu.
Israel wary of Washington
Despite that, U.S. officials doubt that Netanyahu will go as far as providing assurances that Israel will consult Washington -- its biggest source of military assistance -- before launching any strikes on Iran, which has called for the destruction of the Jewish state.
Religious, political hard-liners face off in Iran election
Even if Obama privately reassures Netanyahu that the U.S. has the firepower to deliver a devastating blow to Iran's nuclear program further down the line, the Israelis have made clear they cannot rely on that commitment alone.
"Anyone who thinks that Israel is not going to make its own decision, particularly on an issue they view in existential terms, is kidding themselves," Obama's former Middle East adviser, Dennis Ross, told Reuters.
One line of thinking within the Obama administration is that keeping it in the dark about any Israeli military plans might be best for the United States since any sign of complicity would inflame anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world.
But even without a direct U.S. role, there will be deep suspicion across the Middle East that Israel would not act without a green light from Washington.
Still, it remains unclear whether Netanyahu will pay much heed to Obama's words of caution.
Some Obama aides remain suspicious of Netanyahu's motives. They are convinced that he would prefer to see a Republican take control of the White House in 2013 for fear that Obama's re-election would give him a freer hand to push anew for Israeli concessions to the Palestinians during a second term.
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Reuters and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
Why do we support Israel to the limit we do, when they are selling billions of dollars of weapons to other countries? Shouldn't we cut their aid accordingly?
I suppose you're right if you support Islamic terrorism.
Seems as though you support Israeli terrorism, which by the way, has killed far more people than Islamist terrorists have done by far.
The USA needs to attack Israel; Israel is the cause of war!
And bombs are responsible for Islamist suicide attacks.
OK AIPAC Neocon; I trust you to tell me the truth.
F Isreal! If they want to continue to sit in the middle of this hot bed and antagonize, go ahead. We do not need another war in the middle east. Pull out from Afghanistan and stop all of this senseless killing of our soldiers. Stop this huge waste of spending and use it to rebuild our future in infrastructure, clean energy and education!
Nor do we need you as a mouthpiece for the current Despotic Regime in Iran.
Evidently all of a sudden Obama wants to be pro Israeli, or at least until the election in November.
MSNBC has it all backwards. Obama does NOT want to seek harmony with Isreal but rather wants harmony with the current Despotic Regime of Iran against the will of its people.
israel has been treathened time and time again by iran and also they threaten the great satin- the united states - by iran,, looking the other way until they nuke us, or allow their agent to nukes us, might not be the best thing,,you cant always get what you want...walk soft and carry a big stick, but u have to be ready to use it,, obama wont.. i know russia will attack israel, (eizekel)
Well, all the anti-semites are up early today.
Keep your back to the wall Mr. Netanyahu. That guy will throw you under the bus in a heartbeat, and you can see here very few care if Israel is "wiped off the map."
NEVER AGAIN!
I think the AIPAC Neocons are up early, pushing the USA into another war for Israel.
I find it rather interesting that whenever someone doesn't support our unconditional and irrational support of Israel, you are automatically labeled "Anti-semite"!
Hate to break it to you but WE are Americans!
America first!
Israel is bent on committing suicide! They are acting like spoiled children! A spoiled child will say and do anything to get they`re way no matter the repercussions!
If Israel's ZioNazi kosher pig thugs want to commit suicide 'Give them all the sissel rope that want.' It's much cheaper than having to go to juvenile court every few months and 'veto' them out of jail.
Is it something in the water or our failed education system that is responsible for the increased number of idiots in the world?
What's your excuse Dan?
Nope, just the herd mentality of following the spin for the Media Elite over rational logic
Dan G. can't understand why we aren't all blindly following the AIPAC Neocon warmongers into murdering more Moslems. His AIPAC education system has failed some of us.
Dan, when the likes of Fox News and the Tea Party take control of the country.you'll see how stupid you are.
DocHolliday-2979123
"Negev" its a bunch of hills not bomb.
100 megaton does not exist.
Lagest hydrogen bomb detonated 50 megoton
It was called the the Tsar bomb.
It is and was Russian.
It was suppost to be yield 100 but was cut back to 50 megaton
We need to protect our own borders where the real danger exist and take out internal terroist that have alrready crosed the southern borders. Nuke all of thoes Mideast Bastards and leave and don't look back.
Reading these comments it is clear that America is w-e-a-k.
Let's put this on a personal level - your good friend (that you've known all your lilfe) is being threatened, in a fight or is being robbed. What are you going to do? According to just about all of you, "well we should just sit on our collective a$$e$ and do nothing."
Ok, Iran does go to war against Israel and wins. Do they stop there? Does their dictator (or muslim radical nut case, your choice) say "well we have won and are now willing to live in peace with the rest of the Arab world AND Christian world too"? Keep in mind that all dictators are egomaniacs believing that they rule supreme and can not be stopped (Hitler, Saddam, Amin, Pol Pot, etc. etc.).
If Iran does go to war and wins; what do you think the nut case half the world away (North Korea) will do? Will he see America as a deterent or a nation of pansies? My bet is on the latter choice.
Obama is afraid of making a statement that will hurt himself in his bid for re-election. Down with this stupid N$$$$$. Throw him out of the white house, not the b$$$$ house.
You're right - It's all about AIPAC's Jooish shekel's.
israel are the only ones in the whole middle east who try to live in peace and have never been able to they are surounded by enemies on all sides that would see their destruction animals that hate us as bad as they hate them the only thing them rag heads over there want is american money scum who after getting americas money would behead you . thats right im talking about every arab country there they have been threatend by this country and if they had a nuke by mornning it would be deliverd by lunch i say god bless israel go baby
Get this 'ninja' his meds - Too many (((blows))) to the head it appears.
Seems the Iranian people suffer from the same affliction that all of us endure, don't they? Polititians (the front man or lady), generals and clergy, our burden to carry. I sincerely hope our big three, the pgc tells Israel to stuff their war plans. What if Iran has the bomb, purchased from North Korea or Pakistan? It's too early in the season for mushrooms, isn't it? Seems that 95 percent of the peoples of the world including most Iranians, Israelians, Americans and so on have three things on their minds, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness(even though we're poor). Please pardon my French but F War.
Peace
Iran has not attacked 'anyone' in 200 years. Can the US/NATO/Jewish 'baby killers' say that?
BO has been campaigning and fund raising for his re-election for the past 3 years, other than when he was been on vacation. He IS NOT supportive of Israel and is merely trying to pacify them while he concentrates on the Nov. 2012 election. BO also panders to blacks and Hispanics and those that believe his BS would also buy snake-oil from a snake-oil salesmen. My family and I are working to make him a one-term President; we can't take another 4 years of his incompetency as President.
Move to Israel then.
If the Israelis want to start a war with Iran let them go right on ahead. The caveat being that they do so all on their own with no help whatsoever from the U.S. Why should our country jeopardize our wealth, military member's lives, and international status for a bunch of warmongering zionist thugs who have no respect or civility for anyone that is not Jewish? Since when is our political process to be held captive by a foreign country? If AIPAC, which is very much an anti American group, wants to fight a war to promote Israeli aggression in the ME then they all need to renounce their US citizenship and move to Israel to be on the front lines. Why is the US always having to bend over backwards to placate a foreign country that depends on us for it's economic, military, and social existence? This situation is completely backwards. Not all Americans are brainwashed into believing the zionist lies that talk about a chosen people or the Jews rights to Palestinian territory. The president needs to realize that Israelis don't vote in our elections Americans do.
In Latina America they say: "The gringos put their shorts on backwards for the Jews at night: Sorry to say 'It's true!"
It's the GEORGE BUSH "START A WAR OVER NOTHING" game. You too can now start a war over trumped up probably wrong oh who really cares-- information. Just like the recently ended decade long Iraq episode, you can attack a saber rattling blustering regime that in reality HAS NO BOMB and is A DECADE AWAY FROM GETTING A BOMB LIKE THE BOMBS YOU ALREADY HAVE!!
Remember you get extra points for throwing the world back into a near depression just the way BUSH and CHENEY did just a few years ago.
You too can shout "DEFICITS DON'T MATTER" -- "BRING 'EM ON" and other blustering big D!ck bravado-isms.
All this and as an extra added value, you can nearly destroy the world and BLAME IT ALL ON AMERICA!!
Just another NetanYAHOOO moment brought to you by the EIB Network formerly the home of bombast and distortion now owned by a young college student from Georgetown..
Happy Trails Y'all
Pity poor O'Bubba, a rabid kosher pig Natanuahu to deal with and no permission from the AIPAC kosher Jews to bitch (((slap))) the low life MFer and bring him down to earth wiith a (((thud))). We've spemt a trillion dolllars taking out Iraq (and stealing the oil, of course) to make the Muddled East safer for Jewish terrorism and another trillion dollars in AF/PAK, God only knows why since the only thing America has found there since the al-Qaeda warriors were 'extracted' in 2009 just Arab Taliban warriors defending their country from US/NATO aggression as any people would do. Yassar, these 'arrogant incorrigibles' will be the end of America as we know it with the latest 'Orders from Jerusalem.' that they want Iran taken out because if Iran gets nukes that '1/2 acre of Zionist hell' will no longer be the biggest dog on the block. Hey AmeriKKKa, you have to remember thjat before these parasite bastards 'moved into the neighborhood' that America hadn't developed a handful of seething pissed off Arabs wanting to WTC us. It's time to cut these Jewish Bass Terds warfare checks and warn them about 'chewing off more than they can chew. 'Cause the American people are tired of getting screwed by Jews on Wall Street, the Jewish banks and credit card companies and their 'cute-like-cancer' mortgage wraps, Derivitive. robo-sig mortgage fraud against millions of Americans bull-caca and all the other 'tricks' the Jews use to be hated and eventually 'booted' out of every country they have infected for 2,000 years now - and counting. The revival of #OccupyWallStreet, this Spring, should be the 'beginning of the end' for these Kahzarian 'usuary specialists' and the beginning of 'Kristallncht II (If we can find ourselves a little aggressive man with a funny nmustache - maybe in Austria - we're in. Hallyluyah!!!!
Israel can be sure of one thing...Obama will cut them off at the knees if they attack Iran. Now, if Saudi Arabia were to attack them, that would be another story. Not so bad.
Obama treats Israel like CRAP!
No dinner.....no luncheon........BUT, he spends a Million dollars on a State dinner for the Chinese Murderer and the Worst Human Rights nightmare in the World!
What a TOTAL hypocrite!
I guess you don't read the news much, huh Da-ling? You got the wrong country, the wrong MO and the wrong answers to the Middle Eastern problems - By chance, you Jewish? :)
Pssst, bet you buy all those great deals coming from China, huh Babe's?
Time to change the diaper on your head David. Let's see you are arrogant and sexist, must be a Arab.
Patty Va Beach saw that on Fox News did you?
Lets get something strait.
Usa split the atom.
Created the first atomic bomb.
Dropped bomb on japan to avoid massive casualtys.
Roosevelt had decided to drop the bomb to save american and japanese from another bloody invasion.
Even after the 1st bomb was dropped still no surrender.
2nd bomb dropped.
Game/war over
Us supper power emerged.
When one invents something no matter what it is .They make the rules
After the bomb was drooped a nuclear arms race was under way.
It was clear that these bombs should not be used in anger ever again.
History has a funny way of repeating its self, when people forget or make up what really happened.
Iran has always been unreasonable, and has always forgot that they dealing with a giant.
U.S at the end of the day will protect the Jews.
U.S will not let history repeat its self.
A nuclear iran will never be a threat.
Obama and Israel will never agree. Muslims support the destruction of Israel and so far Obama has supported muslims
Lets get something strait.
Usa split the atom.
Created the first atomic bomb.
Dropped bomb on japan to avoid massive casualtys.
Roosevelt had decided to drop the bomb to save american and japanese from another bloody invasion.
Even after the 1st bomb was dropped still no surrender.
2nd bomb dropped.
Game/war over
Us super power emerged.
When one invents something no matter what it is .They make the rules
After the bomb was drooped a nuclear arms race was under way.
It was clear that these bombs should not be used in anger ever again.
History has a funny way of repeating its self, when people forget or make up what really happened.
Iran has always been unreasonable, and has always forgot that they dealing with a giant.
U.S at the end of the day will protect the Jews.
U.S will not let history repeat its self.
A nuclear iran will never be a threat.
to james 43 your a fing idiot. come get some!
Is your real name Douglas Feith, or is it Paul Wolfowitz? Maybe Philip Zelikow?