Before that interview, Netanyahu had made a statement indicating that without "red lines" Iran would simply be encouraged in his bid for nuclear weapons and that Israel would not wait for them to obtain fully functional nuclear weapons when they continually threaten Israel's very existence.
“The world tells Israel ‘wait, there’s still time.’ And I say, ‘Wait for what? Wait until when?’ Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don’t have a moral right to place a red light before Israel,” Netanyahu declared at a press conference in what is being viewed as a direct rebuke to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The Obama administration, like many before them talks about "good faith" negotiations, sanctions and diplomacy without red lines.
Clinton stoked Israeli fears earlier this week when stated that the U.S. is “not setting deadlines” regarding Iran’s nuclear program. “Good-faith” talks with the genocidal regime, she added, are the best solution to the nuclear impasse.
“We’re convinced that we have more time to focus on these sanctions, to do everything we can to bring Iran to a good-faith negotiation,” Clinton reportedly said.
About those sanctions... Iran has been the subject of United States sanctions over it's nuclear program since 1992. Weapons development, trade and investment, nuclear materials, financial dealings, assets, refined gasoline are all included yet Iran continues it's march to nuclear weapons.
Embedded below is a four page overview of U.S. sanctions against Iran, from the United States Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control:
Iran Sanctions Overview
International sanctions and efforts were also imposed and ignored by Iranian leaders, watered down by Russia and China's veto power.
Nothing worked, Iran is closer than ever to having a nuclear weapon.
In fact, Iran is so defiant, that in July of 2012, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said "Iran is "100 times stronger" than 30 years ago despite the multitude of Western sanctions imposed since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Which brings us to today's headlines, first via Reuters with "In New York, defiant Ahmadinejad says Israel will be "eliminated."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday Israel has no roots in the Middle East and would be "eliminated," ignoring a U.N. warning to avoid incendiary rhetoric ahead of the annual General Assembly session.Does this sound like a rational actor? Leading a country that is close to having nuclear weapons? Someone that can be reasoned with in "good faith negotiations"?
Yet Barack Obama refers to Israel's concerns about Iran as "noise" to be "blocked out." Coincidentally, that word "noise" is the same one Ahmadinejad used in a Washington Post interview.
Which brings us to the second headline that caught the eye from CBS News, "For Obama, diplomacy gets back seat to campaign."
UNITED NATIONS HEADQUATERS, New York - President Obama arrived in New York Monday afternoon for the United Nations General Assembly. One of the main topics of discussion at this annual meeting will be the recent unrest outside U.S. embassies in the Muslim world, including an attack in Benghazi, Libya, which claimed the lives of four Americans. But unlike years past, the president will not be sitting down with any of the more than 120 world leaders who are here in New York.
Simply put, the White House is prioritizing the president's reelection effort. Most heads of state will be here all week, but the president will be in New York less than 24 hours, and even then will spend most of his time away from this conference.
After landing in New York Monday afternoon, the president headed straight for a sit-down -- not with visiting leaders, but with the ladies of "The View," for an interview to air tomorrow.
Last year at the U.N. General Assembly, President Obama held 13 one-on-one meetings with major leaders.
But this year diplomacy is taking a back seat to campaigning, despite a worsening civil war in Syria, rising tensions between Israel and Iran, and the recent attack in Libya.
Iran makes no secret of their threats against Israel, Americans closest ally in the region, yet Obama refused a meeting with Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, yet had time for "The View," so he can be what he calls "eye candy?"
We will let Bibi's Meet The Press quotes close us out:
"I think Iran is very different. They put their zealotry above their survival. They have suicide bombers all over the place. I wouldn’t rely on their rationality, you know, you-- since the advent of nuclear weapons, you had countries that had access to nuclear weapons who always made a careful calculation of cost and benefit. But Iran is guided by a leadership with an unbelievable fanaticism. It’s the same fanaticism that you see storming your embassies today. You want these fanatics to have nuclear weapons? "
"I mean, I’ve heard some people suggest, David, I actually I read this in the American press. They said, well, you know, if you take action, that’s-- that’s a lot worse than having Iran with nuclear weapons. Some have even said that Iran with nuclear weapons would stabilize the Middle East-- stabilize the Middle East. I-- I think the people who say this have set a new standard for human stupidity. "
Yes Mr. Prime Minister, human stupidity indeed.