Say, About That Old 'Bush Lied' Trope, Looks Like Wikileaks Proved Obama Repeatedly Lied About Middle East Policy

Runner-up headline: Obama lied, diplomacy died

Anyone remember that exactly one year ago President Obama's original deadline for Iran expired?

Back in the halcyon days of hopeychange, newly minted President Barack Obama articulated his master plan for dealing with Iran. Mr. Peabody, set the Wayback Machine for May of 2009:

President Barack Obama gave Iran a half-year...

Obama said Monday that he would know "whether or not these discussions [with Iran] are starting to yield significant benefits" by the end of the year. In a White House press conference held by Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, capping a 90-minute meeting today, Obama told reporters that he was against an artificial timeline but effectively created one. Obama offered a period from June, after Iran's domestic elections, to year's end "to see serious movement on the part of Iranians."

"We're not going to have talks forever," Obama said...

Just half of forever.

The president needs to show Arab states and Iran that he is demanding concessions from the Israelis...

Obama requires time to see whether his olive branch towards Iran bears, well, olives. Yet Obama's recognition that diplomatic progress must occur this year was tantamount to affirmation of Israel's concern, that the threat of a nuclear Iran requires immediate resolution.

Yes. Immediate.

Meanwhile, as Obama implies, Netanyahu could take significant steps toward the Palestinians--on settlements in particular. That would considerably aid Obama's outreach to Iran and the Arab world.

But -- as the Wikileaks disclosures make clear -- Israeli concessions have (and had) nothing at all to do with stopping Iran. Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries wanted Iran crushed -- as King Abdullah put it, "cut off the head of the snake" -- period.

Let me repeat: Obama knew all along that Israeli concessions had nothing to do with stopping Iran's march to nuclear weapons. Yet he persisted in linking the two, even though it raised the risk of an atomic conflagration that could engulf the world.

I'd like to know: does it get any more irresponsible than that?


Update: Rumor Confirmed: Obama Traded Missile Shield for Russian Help With Iran That Never Appeared


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