THE OTHER CRISIS - AT 9:05 A.M. ET:  Britain's Con Coughlin, who writes frequently about security affairs, warns us that the other crisis - Iran - is boiling.  This provides still one more opportunity for the Democratic Party's left wing to oppose any effective action.  From The Telegraph:

The best that can be said about Iran's announcement that it intends to build a further 10 uranium enrichment facilities is that at least we are now clear about its intentions.

For much of the past year, the West has been labouring under the illusion that Iran might somehow be coaxed into negotiating a resolution to the international crisis over its nuclear programme. Barack Obama, in particular, has gone out of his way since taking office last January to try to persuade Tehran to end the decades of anti-American hostility that have defined Iran's approach to Washington since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

And how successful The One has been!

But all the President has got in return is a hardening of Tehran's position, resulting in an announcement that, even by Iranian standards, represents a dramatic escalation in the country's nuclear ambitions.

We're glad someone in the press noticed.  And all Coughlin will get for this is to be labeled a warmonger by the journalistic left.

Precisely why the world's fourth largest oil producer is so obsessed with developing nuclear power has never been adequately explained by the government. All Mr Ahmadinejad and other senior members of the regime ever say when pressed is that Iran has an inalienable right to develop nuclear power if it chooses, and that is how it intends to meet its future energy needs.

And...

Even Mohammed ElBaradei, the IAEA director-general, concedes that his inspectors have reached a "dead end" in their attempts to unravel Iran's true nuclear intentions. During his 12-year tenure as head of the IAEA, Mr ElBaradei has bent over backwards to accommodate Tehran, often blocking publication of sensitive material that might embarrass the Iranians in the hope that he could persuade them to make a full disclosure of their programme.

For this great contribution to mankind, ElBaradei was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which apparently is given for cynicism and ineffectiveness.

The fact that both Russia and China now appear to be prepared to take a tougher line with Tehran is about the only positive development to emerge from this otherwise sorry saga. This is partly due to Mr Obama's intense diplomatic efforts to court both Moscow and Beijing, and a growing awareness that, unless urgent action is taken soon, the world will wake up one morning and find that the ayatollahs have successfully tested an atom bomb.

A bit exaggerated.  Russia is taking a tougher line, and has indicated that it might agree to more sanctions.  China is stating directly that increased sanctions are not on the agenda.

Time is clearly not on the side of those attempting to talk Iran round. For the past six years, the West has been involved in intensive negotiations with Tehran to resolve this dispute, but all that has happened is that Iran has dramatically increased its nuclear capability while the West has received nothing in return.

This is a situation that can no longer be allowed to continue. If Iran wishes to persist with its defiant attitude, then it must face the consequences.

The right words.  But which government is listening?

Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, has argued in favour of "crippling" sanctions being imposed against Iran, and urgent action should now be taken to implement them as soon as possible, in a last-ditch effort to bring Tehran to its senses. Otherwise the consequences are too dreadful to contemplate.

COMMENT:  And if Clinton doesn't get what she presumably wants, she should resign her position and go public.  But I don't think she has the guts, or the character. 

Iran is even more serious than Afghanistan.  But the word we hear from Washington is that the usual suspects down there are preparing to "live with" a nuclear Iran.  That's not the issue.  We can "live with" a nuclear Iran.  The issue is whether we die with it.

December 2, 2009