Extending Our Nuclear Umbrella

On her recent trip to Thailand, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made several statements that taken together should concern every citizen of the Western World. First, she said, “We want Iran to calculate what I think is a fair assessment: that if the US extends a defense umbrella over the region, if we do even more to support the military capacity of those in the Gulf, it is unlikely Iran will be any stronger or safer.” She then went on to say that, “The Iranians won’t be able to intimidate and dominate as they apparently believe they can once they have nuclear weapons.” emphasis added.

The Secretary of State is apparently saying that because it is a foregone conclusion that the rogue Iranian regime will obtain nuclear weapons, the United States must extend its nuclear umbrella to Israel and the other “friendly” Persian Gulf Arab states. If this is true, we are all in grave danger. The United States must take all actions necessary to prevent Iran from developing (or obtaining) nuclear weapons.

Mrs. Clinton’s (and the Obama Administration’s) belief that the extension of our nuclear umbrella will somehow calm the fears of those in the Middle East is incorrect. And, unfortunately, her assumption that the extension of our nuclear umbrella to that region will deter Iran’s use of nuclear weapons is fatally flawed. The reason our extension of our nuclear umbrella to our Western European allies during the Cold War was successful was because the Soviets could be deterred by the certain knowledge that we had the power and the willingness to destroy them, if necessary (the exact term was mutually assured destruction or “MAD”). As Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev told his Chinese counter part, Mao Zedong, “The US may be a paper tiger as you call it, but that paper tiger has nuclear teeth.”

The Islamists who run Iran do not possess the rationality of the former Soviet leaders. They believe that they are fulfilling a Koranic prophecy and are being dictated to by Allah. They do not care if Iran is destroyed in an Israeli or US retaliatory strike, just so long as Israel is destroyed too.

The fundamental flaw in the Obama Administration’s thinking toward Iran comes from the President himself. President Obama does not understand the nature of the adversary that we face. By stating in his Cairo speech in June that under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran has the right to develop nuclear power, Mr. Obama conceded that the Iranians have the right to go nuclear. This is despite the fact that Iran is the world’s number one sponsor of terrorism.

For some reason, the President of the United States (and, by extension, his entire administration) feels the need to coddle the Islamic extremists who currently control Iran. Whether it is continuing the folly of stating that he wants to meet with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, or refusing to speak out in support of those protesting the results of the Iranian presidential election for fear of meddling or refusing to allow his Secretary of State to say that the Iranian government is an illegitimate regime, the President is showing our enemies that the United States will not act to protect its own security, let alone that of its allies.

President Obama and Secretary Clinton are putting the Israelis in a position where they will have to act alone. Since Mr. Ahmadinejad has repeatedly said that he intends to wipe Israel off the map, the Israeli government cannot sit back and allow Iran to develop the weapons that can destroy their entire population.

The security of the entire Western World is at stake. The President and the Secretary of State should have a better understanding of our enemies before they extend our nuclear umbrella. If they don’t, that umbrella has far too many holes for it to make any difference.

The Trip to the Middle East

As President Obama gets ready for his first presidential trip to the Middle East, I am afraid that it will just be a continuation of the Obama apology tour that began with his European trip last April and continued with his South American trip later that month.

The President is scheduled to deliver a major speech in Cairo on Thursday. Hopefully, the content of the speech will not signal the weakness that this President demonstrated in his first official Presidential interview (you know, the one with the Arab network, Al Arabiya). The time for speaking of mutual respect is over. America has shown the utmost respect for the Muslim world with the showing of very little respect in return. Thousands of American lives have been lost in the liberation of Muslims across the globe – remember the Balkans, Kuwait, Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan.

Mr. Obama should demand that the so called Muslim world assist us in the War on Terror. Extremists must be stopped all across the Middle East. The regimes in the Arab countries should be told that they must not aide and abet terrorists. Their banks can no longer be used as conduits to fund the Islamist ideology. The education in the Arab schools must stop demonizing America and Israel. The curricula in these schools must be expanded beyond Koranic studies and include the skills that will enable the children to compete in the global market place.

President Obama should also speak of the goal of replacing the dictatorial regimes that currently occupy the seats of power in the Middle East with those of freely elected. He must remind them that free elections do not mean one man, one vote, one time.

The President should explain to our Arab friends that a nuclear armed Iran benefits no one, including them. The Iranians are no friends of the Saudis or the Egyptians. The mullahs in Iran have exported trouble to these nations and others across the region. Nuclear weapons only add to the potential for trouble. Therefore, our allies should assist in pressuring the Iranian government so that they cannot continue with their nuclear program.

Unfortunately, the early signals of Mr. Obama’s trip are not reassuring. His decision to not stop in Israel is troubling, to say the least. It sends the wrong signal when the President of the United States refuses to make a stop to visit our only democratic ally in region. Instead, he’d rather spend more time bowing and kowtowing to the King of Saudi ruled Arabia.

I hope that the Presidential snub of Israel does not signal an end to our sixty year support of that nation. However, this coupled with some of President Obama’s actions makes one wonder. For instance, isn’t it odd that the President is said to be outraged by the Israeli settlements in the West Bank while showing no such outrage over the Iranian nuclear program, which, of course, presents a clear and present danger to our national security (not to mention the security of our allies).

Once again President Obama is stepping front and center on the world stage. He has a choice. He can use it to send a clear message to our enemies (like Iran, North Korea and Al Qaeda) that we are strong and will defend our interests and those of our democratic allies. Or, he can use it to continue his role as apologizer-in-chief. Mr. President, it is up to you. But, remember, this time, the security of our nation may be at hand.