At 60 Minutes, CBS News reporter Scott Pelley interviewed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who makes it crystal clear that the United States will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear bomb.
Read the transcript, and above all, watch the video of the interview, so you can hear Panetta’s tone and watch his body language. This is not faking it for the purpose of grandstanding. Especially read this paragraph, in which Panetta announces our “common concern” with Israel:
Pelley: If the Israelis decide to launch a military strike to prevent that weapon from being built, what sort of complications does that raise for you?
Panetta: Well, we share the same common concern. The United States does not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. That’s a red line for us and that’s a red line, obviously, for the Israelis. If we have to do it we will deal with it.
So the question arises: Will the Obama administration bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities before the 2012 election? If they do, will that mean no matter what other issues there are, Obama will win the presidency? If the administration does bomb Iran, conservatives and neo-conservatives will applaud the action (Except Ron Paul and his acolyte Andrew Sullivan) and the Left and liberals will denounce it. Hence, the outcome of the 2012 race will be more uncertain.
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