Name:   Talullahhound - Subject:   Back to your original question Date:   4/7/2015 10:08:32 PM

MM, when I was wearing my Washington Hat (9 years ago), I was frequently in meetings with Israeli officials.  Even then they were obsessed with Iran. I went to Israel a couple of time, and heard the same rhetoric that you are now hearing.  So here we are many years later, and the Israelis are obsessed with Iran, still. This was during the GWB Administration.  I never saw any U.S. Senior Officials do muc more than listen politely and change the subject.   Rationally, don't you think that if Iran wanted to attack Israel that they would have done it?  I personally believe that the Iranians enjoy pulling the chain of Israel, knowing they will whine and scream that much more.  They don't need nukes to destroy Israel - but they don't need to do anything because the Israelis scream anyway.  Iran is not going to attack Israel because they know that it will mean that the U.S. will defend Israel and attack Iran. And Iran doesn't want war with us, despite what the more radical Mullahs say.  And we do not want war with Iran, because we currently have too much on our plate and we don't need the entire Middle East in a blow up.  The situation in Yemen is far more dangerous.  Saudi is on edge becasue there is much there much  at stake for them. 

I guess I'm much less alarmed by what they say publicly, than what is being said privately.  One thing about the Middle East is that what appears to be going on, may or may not be true.  They all play the media very effectively, but it isn't always the truth because appearances have to be maintained.  And I'm not terribly concerned about framework agreements.  That is what they are - a framework for future discussions  It' s more symbolic than anything else.

The Republicans are using this to create fear.   What they really fear is Hiliary Clinton in 2016.