Iran is kicking Obama’s ass around. It’s embarrassing.

As most of us do, I get news update emails. I’ve been watching with interest as a series of them regarding Iran arrived, and if it didn’t prove how utterly incompetent Obama is it would be laugh out loud funny.

Remember those “snap-back” sanctions Obama promised us if Iran violated any nuclear deal?

April 4

Weekly Presidential Address

Iran will never be permitted to develop a nuclear weapon.In return for Iran’s actions, the international community, including the United States, has agreed to provide Iran with phased relief from certain sanctions. If Iran violates the deal, sanctions can be snapped back into place.

October 16

US: Iran missile test violated sanctions

Iran’s recent ballistic missile test was a violation of international sanctions, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said Friday.

Power said a U.S. probe found the new long-range ballistic missiles test-fired by Iran is “inherently capable of delivering a nuclear weapon” and thus is a “clear violation” of sanctions banning such launches, The Associated Press reported.
…
“The Security Council prohibition on Iran’s ballistic missile activities, as well as the arms embargo, remain in place and we will continue to press the Security Council for an appropriate response to Iran’s disregard for its international obligations,” she said.

The timing of the launch ruffled feathers in Washington, in large part because it occurred less than a week before the Iran nuclear deal is set to be officially adopted.

And, naturally

Administration officials have insisted, however, the launch does not violate the terms of the deal, which places limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions.

Because nothing Iran can do violates the deal. Not even firing missiles near US ships.

Dec. 30

US Says Iran Launched ‘Provocative’ Rocket Test Near Ships

The U.S. on Wednesday accused Iran of launching a “highly provocative” rocket test last week near its warships and commercial traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, exposing how tensions between the two countries could escalate even after a landmark nuclear deal.

The strategic Persian Gulf waterway, which sees nearly a third of all oil traded by sea pass through it, has been the scene of past confrontations between America and Iran, including a one-day naval battle in 1988.

Dec. 30

Experts expect more provocations from Iran

Iran’s rocket launch near a U.S. aircraft carrier is likely a sign of things to come, say experts on the regime — especially as Tehran offers concessions under the nuclear deal negotiated earlier this year.

U.S. military officials on Tuesday revealed that Iran had conducted what they called a “highly provocative” live-fire exercise within a mile from a U.S. aircraft carrier.

Although Iran has conducted two other such exercises within the past year or so — one in April and one in October 2014 — a Navy official said this last exercise, which took place on Dec. 26, was unique in that it was conducted “much closer” to U.S. ships than before.

It came one day after the White House celebrated a milestone on the nuclear deal — Iran’s shipping of most of its low-enriched uranium out of the country.

Experts say they expect similar behavior going forward.

Dec. 31

U.S. preparing sanctions on Iran over ballistic missile program: sources

U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration is preparing new sanctions on international companies and individuals over Iran’s ballistic missile program, sources familiar with the situation said on Wednesday.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that the potential sanctions would target about 12 companies and individuals in Iran, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for their suspected role in developing Iran’s ballistic-missile program.

U.S. officials have said the Treasury Department retains a right under July’s landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, including Washington, to blacklist Iranian entities suspected of involvement in missile development, the Journal said.

Iranian officials have said the country’s supreme leader would view such penalties as violating the nuclear accord.

Dec. 31

US Delays Imposing New Sanctions On Iran

The White House has delayed imposing new financial sanctions on Iran over its ballistic-missile program, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Journal, citing U.S. officials, said the Obama administration was preparing to sanction nearly a dozen companies and individuals in Iran, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates for their role in developing Iran’s ballistic-missile program.

The U.S. sanctions were expected to be formally announced this week, the newspaper said.

I wonder why…..?

Iranian officials have said the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would view such penalties as violating the nuclear accord.

Hmmm….

Jan. 3

White House Says More Work Needed Before Any Iran Sanctions

HONOLULU — The White House said on Jan. 2 it has more diplomatic and technical work to do before announcing any sanctions in response to ballistic missile launches by Iran.

The US is considering designating a number of additional targets for sanctions related to Iran’s ballistic missile program. Congress has been notified of those deliberations.

Some lawmakers have criticized the administration for what they describe as delayed punitive action in response to Iran’s recent missile tests.

Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser, said the pact that the US and others negotiated with Iran last year to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon will not impede future sanctions.

Jan. 4

Iran Deal Backers Embarrassed By Obama Admin’s Sanctions Blunder

Senior Obama administration officials at the White House’s National Security Council told Congress Wednesday morning that new sanctions were coming as a result of Iran’s repeated ballistic missile tests, which violate current United Nations Security Council Resolutions prohibiting such activity.

However, the administration quietly walked back its announcement, telling lawmakers that the sanctions would be indefinitely delayed.

The move sparked a fierce backlash among prominent congressional leaders who have served as chief advocates for the administration’s efforts to ink a nuclear deal with Iran.

Sources who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon about the delay claim that the administration has repeatedly allowed Iran to dictate the terms of the deal out of fear that the Islamic Republic will ditch the deal before it is officially implemented later this month.

Iranian leaders have made clear that any new U.S. sanctions will force it to walk away from the nuclear agreement. In the wake of the new sanctions debate, Iranian military leaders announced over the weekend they are working to increase the strength and destructive power of the country’s arsenal.

By the short hairs, as they say.

Early last year I wrote an article and the Obama money quote was this:

“As long as I am President of the United States Iran will not get a nuclear weapon.”

Key words. “As long as I am President.”

In September of 2014 I wrote this:

When Obama attacked Libya he thumbed his nose at Congress. There is a reason this time is different. According to Obama, defeating ISIS into a “manageable” state will take three years. There is a reason for that. It would mean the campaign would last into 2017.

After Obama is out of office.

At that time the next President will be forced to deal with the reality of Iraq. We need boots on the ground. There is no way to have good intel and act as a deterrent without having boots on the ground. There is more than ample precedent. To this day the US maintains a peaceful presence in Japan and Germany. There was no reason not to leave a residual force in Iraq, other than Obama promised he’d take them all out. Obama could easily have left a force there are declared them “advisors” as he has done now. The US now has 1000 troops in Iraq. Like it or not, we’re back in Iraq and in another war. Shhh!

Any time there is something that needs to be done which could cause pain to Obama or to democrats, it’s delayed. It gets swept under the rug.

Obamacare employer mandate? 2017.

Executive action on immigration? After the election.

What doesn’t he delay? Golf. Ten minutes after noting the beheading of a second American he’s teeing up.

The Obama agenda for the next two plus years will be to avoid risk and delay any and all possible discomforting actions until Obama is out of office. As it always has been, Barack Obama’s number one priority in the world is Barack Obama.

Now the Iranian vise tightens. Snap back my ass.

Obama is not risk averse. He is responsibility averse. He cannot admit he has done anything wrong- not ever. And this time he screwed up- big. He’s in a pickle.

WSJ:

Obama’s Snap-Back Fantasy

President Barack Obama likes to say that sanctions on Iran can be “snapped back” into place should Tehran violate any nuclear deal it might sign. Mark that down as another Administration fantasy.

The latest evidence of growing business interest in the Islamic Republic came at this year’s World National Oil Companies Congress, held in London, where a full day of briefings on Monday was devoted to exploring energy-industry opportunities after sanctions vanish. Chevron, Siemens, Australia’s Woodside Energy and Singapore’s Yug-Neftegaz were among the industry players with delegates at the Iran briefings.

“We think that the enthusiasm is there,” Elham Hassanzadeh, the main workshop presenter, said in an interview with us. “And the fact that the whole sanctions structure is weakened is true, because everybody’s just ready that once it really crumbles to go back to the country and put down the money.”

Even HuffPo knew the truth:

In essence, “snap back” sanctions are a fiction, an economic tooth fairy, or a non-existent boogeyman in the closet. And all the king’s horses and all the king’s men, cannot snap back sanctions again. Economic pressure is the only leverage the U.S. has left at its disposal. Once it vanishes, holding Iran to a deal will be like nailing Jell-O to a wall. It’s hard to see it happening.

And this from George Schultz and Henry Kissinger:

“Undertaking the ‘snapback’ of sanctions is unlikely to be as clear or as automatic as the phrase implies,” former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Shultz said in a joint opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal.

“Restoring the most effective sanctions will require coordinated international action,” they wrote. With commercial interests and popular opinion swaying some countries against a prompt snapback, any U.S. attempt at forcing such a move “risks primarily isolating America, not Iran.”

The farce that is this Iranian deal is going to ride on a rough road. The worst part is that Obama’s going to stuff us all in the trunk for that ride. It’s embarrassing.

And don’t forget DrJohn’s Law.

DrJohn

DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into the field of education.

DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.

Except for liberals being foolish.