MEANWHILE, BACK IN TEHRAN – AT 9:52 A.M. ET:   With all that's going on, let's not forget that one of the great sponsors of terror, Iran, is waiting in the wings, and doing major mischief.  The Iran nuclear deal, the crown jewel of Field Marshal Obama's "achievements" in foreign policy, is starting to fall apart, as sane people knew it would.  From Gatestone Institute: 

Iran's hardliners are pressing their attack on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which has not yet been approved by Iran. Iran's opponents of the JCPOA have succeeded in halting any steps toward implementation of Tehran's responsibilities under the July14 settlement reached in Vienna by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- the US, the UK, France, China and Russia, plus Germany (the so-called P5+1). But who appointed them?

While some reports indicated that Iran was beginning to take off the production line some of the uranium-enrichment centrifuges in the Natanz and Fordow facilities, contradictory reports suggested that any such action was halted due to pressure from Iran's hardliners, and that dismantling the centrifuges had not been authorized by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and was therefore premature. Another report suggested that only a small number of outdated centrifuges had been decommissioned.

However, a stern letter of warning was dispatched to President Hassan Rouhani from 20 key members of Iran's Majlis [Islamic Consultative Assembly], many of whom have close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), informing him to cease any dismantling activity.[1]

In addition, Iranian military commanders, security chiefs and conservative media outlets are coming close to questioning the competence and loyalty of those in the Iranian regime who favor the JCPOA.[2] These personal assaults have implied that some officials are trying to whitewash the reputation of the United States in order to improve relations with the "Great Satan."[3] The targets of those criticisms appear to be Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as well as President Rouhani.

The Iranian military's Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Major General Gholam Ali Rashid, said that there are two types of officials that favor the JCPOA, and that their goal is "embellishing America's despicable image -- the "simple-minded, which includes some government officials as well as spiteful, traitorous, infiltrators."

COMMENT:  This is serious.  If the hardliners stage a successful coup, or even force the "moderates" to back down, the whole agreement, which already is full of holes, can collapse. 

Some wishful thinkers believe that Iran will, over the years, become more pro-Western.  The people, we're told, love us.  Just love us.  In international politics, "the people" are irrelevant.  What counts is who has the guns, and what they're willing to do with them.  The "people" of Japan did not vote to attack Pearl Harbor.  No one asked them.

We have to watch this carefully.  We may be battling Iran and ISIS at the same time.

November 18, 2015