Countdown on Iranian Nuke Negotiations | National Catholic Reporter

Countdown on Iranian Nuke Negotiations | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: We may as well talk about this - as most Bracketology is constructed out of home state or alma mater loyalty rather than either year to year bracket experience (not a good idea) or intimate knowledge of each team (and even then, thre are upsets).  Handicapping secret nuclear talks is also a fools errand unless you are getting daily reports on the sly - and even then the real issue is for each side to trust each other - the Iranians trusting the U.S. not to attack and to somehow keep Israel from a unilateral strike and the US trusting Iran that it really has no incentive to burn up all the Muslims in Israel - or even just the Shia - while avoiding the fall out cloud reigning down radiation on everything short of Alburz mountains (although the Zargos in the west may block most of it - but they won't block an American or Israeli counterstrike).  All other negotiation points are a detail.



Bibi Netanyahu is making things worse by opening fat mouth - and for reasons of electoral hype more than security.  He is not helping. Indeed, his treatment of the Palestinians (and one could argue the Israeli Arabs) has damaged the cause of Zionism, almost to the point of no return - giving support to the affirmative of the question of whether Zionism is racism or Apartheid.  Only neoconservatives (and you know who you are) can long stand by as he trounces the rights of people who, by default, are his citizens.  Unless he is willing to let the people on the other side of the wall join Jordan, Syria or militarize themselves, these people must be considered Israelis sooner than later and given a full vote in the upcomig elections (which his party could never with Palestinan suffrage).  So enough of his opinion.  It matters not unless he is about to do something unilateral and stupid.  As for Senator Cotton, the jury is out on him.  He's an idiot and even is cosignatories to his misbegotten letter are backing away from him - and not even slowly.



The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (what the US Government calls it, so therefore the proper form of it here - calling it Islamic State implies a larger Caliphate which is only comical considerig they are a client of the Saudi Royals who would rather have that title).  The backbone of ISIL, of course, is the Sunni Military of Saddam Hussein - though dead he is still with us.  Why did you think they were capable of such cruelty?  The CIA most likely taught them!  With all its flaws, however, it has succeeded in effectively regionalizing Iraq, which was the obvious next step - both to th chagrin of those who did not want to see a Kurdish state - (that would be Turkey) and those who still harbor malice for the taking of our embassy (which should have been closed the first time it was take and released).  Given a choice between Baathist fighters and Iranian control of the Shia regions (which we once sponsored after the first Gulf War), I will favor the Shia every time.  That Wes Clark is right on how the situation turned our is why he should have been on the ticket (maybe the top) in 2004.  Something tells me the region would not be used to justify our outsized military - which was the real reason for all this carnage.



The questiton is why we are in this at all.  I suspect that beig a more honest broker than Israel is a top reason, althoug given our institutioal interest in keepig up a "strong defense" I woud not be so sure about our honesty. Hopefully the military advisor to Secretary Kerry can be trusted to aim for peace and not the budgetary health of his Department.  That will take some prayer.