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Bridging the U.S.-Israeli Gap on Iran

(Washington Post) Editorial - The White House has been saying that, despite Tehran's progress in enriching uranium and refusal to bargain seriously with an international coalition, there remains "time and space for diplomacy." Israel, suggesting that Iran is approaching a "zone of immunity" in which its program would be nearly invulnerable to attack, has been signaling that it could act unilaterally in the coming months. The disagreement conveys to Iran that there is no need to worry about a war; certainly, the country's leaders have been behaving as if they feel no pressure to compromise. It also creates the bizarre spectacle of senior U.S. military and diplomatic officials focusing their time and attention on trying to prevent an Israeli attack rather than an Iranian bomb. If Mr. Obama really is determined to take military action if Iran takes decisive steps toward producing a bomb, such as enriching uranium to bomb-grade levels or expelling inspectors, he would be wise to say so publicly. Doing so would improve relations with Mr. Netanyahu and deter unilateral Israeli action - and it might well convince Iran that the time has come to compromise.
2012-09-10 00:00:00
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