Bolton: Time to Get Tough With Iran

Former Ambassador to the UN John Bolton is pulling no punches with regard to the Iranian nuke program:

Iran has "clearly mastered the enrichment technology now...they're not stopping, they're making progress and our time is limited", he said. Economic sanctions "with pain" had to be the next step, followed by attempting to overthrow the theocratic regime and, ultimately, military action to destroy nuclear sites.

Mr Bolton's stark warning appeared to be borne out yesterday by leaks about an inspection by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of Iran's main nuclear installation at Natanz on Sunday.

The experts found that Iran's scientists were operating 1,312 centrifuges, the machines used to enrich uranium. If Iran can install 3,000, it will need about one year to produce enough weapons grade uranium for one nuclear bomb.

And that bomb will be aimed at either Israel or our troops in Iraq or Afghanistan. Bet on it.

The current President will not be able to muster the required backing in the country and definitely not in Congress. That, of course, would leave the attacking to those who stand to lose the most...Israel. They will require Iraqi airspace clearance to accomplish it--not a given with the Shiite al-Maliki government--and will require advanced bunker-busting technology that the US can provide.

Here's to Bolton still fighting the good fight.

More frightening reading can be found here.