Obama And Sarkozy Like To Use Israel As A Club

Last year, I posted about an article in The Washington Post, about how the US used the threat of an Israeli attack on Iran--and the chaos that would result--in order to convince China to support a condemnation of Iran for flouting UN resolutions regarding its development of nuclear power:

Two weeks before President Obama visited China, two senior White House officials traveled to Beijing on a "special mission" to try to persuade China to pressure Iran to give up its alleged nuclear weapons program.


If Beijing did not help the United States on this issue, the consequences could be severe, the visitors, Dennis Ross and Jeffrey Bader, both senior officials in the National Security Council, informed the Chinese.

The Chinese were told that Israel regards Iran's nuclear program as an "existential issue and that countries that have an existential issue don't listen to other countries," according to a senior administration official. The implication was clear: Israel could bomb Iran, leading to a crisis in the Persian Gulf region and almost inevitably problems over the very oil China needs to fuel its economic juggernaut, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. [emphasis added]

Apparently China was impressed by the warning.

That would explain why now French President Sarkozy is using the threat of Israel in talks with Lebanon:

Nicolas Sarkozy are warning that Israel could invade Lebanon if Hizbullah alters the balance of power in Lebanon and targets the national unity cabinet, As Safir daily said.

You really have to admire the 'flexibility' of Obama and Sarkozy--relying on a strong Israel when their own reputations are insufficient, yet still insisting on unilateral peace plans that will only weaken it.

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