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As America's Credibility Wanes, Iran Upgrades Its Nuclear Capacity
(American Interest) Walter Russell Mead - The Ayatollahs have come to the conclusion that the U.S. president will not use military force as Iran presses forward with its nuclear plans. One of the clues that lead them to this conclusion is the U.S. decision to cut back the number of aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf region. If Washington were serious, the Iranians believe, we would be building up our naval presence, not drawing it back. From Iran's point of view the Administration also seems to be standing down in Syria. American passivity in Syria tells Iran that its "resistance" axis of anti-Israel, anti-U.S. forces isn't on the verge of collapse; the Americans aren't going to push Assad off the cliff and break Iran's regional alliance system. If President Obama is serious about opposing an Iranian nuclear bomb with force if necessary, then the signals the White House is sending to Iran are unintentionally making war more likely, not less. The president needs to start sending signals that convince even the hardest-line mullahs that he really does mean it.