Ok, read on:
Key European nations will meet with Iran in September in a last-ditch effort to seek a negotiated solution to the standoff over Tehran's refusal to freeze uranium enrichment, a senior U.N. diplomat said Thursday.
The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because his information was confidential, said the U.N. Security Council will await the results of that meeting before acting on sanctions.
The council had said the deadline for an enrichment freeze was Thursday — the day that the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Tehran was continuing with the activity, opening the path to punitive measures.
Iran will not stop pursuing nuclear weapons and yet another "final" deadline is being pushed back. I thought today was the deadline but now Iran has a couple weeks to yet again think over their formal "screw all of you we're going nuclear" answer.
I guess my speculation about imminent military action is dead wrong. The apparent inaction has been less than disturbing to me because I've assumed we wouldn't dare let Iran get away with going nuclear. I've assumed we're moving closer to action so there was no need to act tough. This still may be true, I hope.
But it is getting harder to maintain my faith that we will destroy the grave threat that Iran poses to us. I fear that in not too long we will warn Iran about their final deadline to dismantle their nuclear arsenal or else face travel sanctions.
Our patience will be rewarded with a nuclear crater somewhere, some day. That will be the legacy for President Bush if he doesn't defend us. And if he won't, who else will?
Oh no, wait, I forgot that we'll impose punitive travel restrictions on the mullahs. That'll show 'em. They'll only be able to fly to Russia and China and France and Syria and Venezuela and North Korea. Probably Belgium, too. But other than that--cut off completely!
Have a nice day.
UPDATE: NRO has an editorial starting:
At midnight tonight, the U.N. Security Council’s deadline for Iran to stop enriching uranium will pass, but the centrifuges at Natanz will keep spinning. That Iran has defied the deadline should surprise no one. What does surprise us is that the president who swore he would not “permit the world’s most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world’s most destructive weapons” does not show more urgency in fulfilling that pledge.
The president did pledge to protect us from threats. He has reaffirmed the strategy of preemption. And I believe he is a man of his word, But the appearance of inaction continues to be disturbing. The question yet to be answered is whether the appearance fails to reflect the reality. I've been counting on that being the case. Am I foolish the believe that still? I am having my doubts.
If September passes without serious action I will have to seriously reconsider whether the president and his party are serious about protecting us from a nuclear threat.
