War? Maybe, But Not Now.

18/06/25 11:39
IMG_3152June 18, 2025 (Vol. 19 No. 25) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unilaterally declared war on Iran last week. He did so in the name of self-defense, saying that Iran is just "weeks away" from developing its own nuclear bomb. That maybe true. However, he used the exact same language in 2012, 2015, 2017 and last year. (I'm sure there were other times, I just don't have the exact dates.) In light of past pronouncements, there's reason to be skeptical about Netanyahu's claims. They may be more related to his domestic political problems than they are about national security. It is Netanyahu's political situation that has dictated Israel's gross overkill in Gaza. But let's for arguments sake say that it is true and Iran is really "weeks away" from having the bomb. Netanyahu is pressuring President Donald Trump for American intervention. That's because America is the only nation with the bunker-busting weapons capable of destroying Iran's underground centrifuge facilities for enriching uranium. That being the case, it may be necessary for American intervention. Under no circumstances should Iran be allowed to have nuclear weapons. However, it is important to remember that war should always be the path of last resort. Diplomacy should always be the first choice. In fact, the U.S. and Iran were making progress - the Trump Administration's word, not mine - toward an agreement that would have achieved the desired end. However, that's not the solution Netanyahu wants. That's why he attacked Iran last Friday, just before another round of U.S. - Iran nuclear negotiations. The Prime Minister's war lust has effectively sabotaged those talks. Of course, we should also remember that the current talks, as well the current hostilities, would not have happened if President Trump had not torn up an agreement President Obama negotiated in 2015. Organizations outside of the U.S. have confirmed that Iran was in compliance with the treaty when Trump tore it up. That left Iran with no other choice than to relaunch its nuclear program. And here's the greatest irony: The treaty that Trump is currently negotiating looks a lot like the one Obama negotiated. In short, the current mess is as much Trump's fault as it is Israel's and Iran's. Now Trump is pondering whether the U.S. should enter the fray. Iran claims - and Trump's own words suggest - that the U.S. is already involved. The President needs to be reminded that the decision to go to war is not his alone to make. That little annoyance known as the Constitution says it is the Congress, not the President, who decides whether this nation goes to war. And not all Republicans are in favor of war with Iran. There's likely a split among Democrats, as well. Let me make my position clear: If there is any nation in the world that America has serious grievances with, it is Iran. Attacking Iran would feel good. If we have definitive proof that Iran is near its goal of developing nuclear weapons and the missiles necessary to deliver them, then war is an absolute must. However, a war with Iran would not be the cakewalk that Trump, the draft dodger, thinks it would be. That's why diplomacy should come first. A war with Iran would lead to another generation of hostility between the Western and Islamic worlds. But is war the politically smart and morally right decision? That's a matter for serious public debate and congressional consent. Let's not let Trump march us blindly into a war that is largely of his own making. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.