Obama Has No Option Other Than the Use of Force

FOXNews.com

The Obama administration on Monday said Iran's plan to build 10 more nuclear enrichment facilities and expand to a half-million centrifuges was "unacceptable" -- but once again, in the face of yet another deadline, it offered no specific response beyond wait-and-see. The Obama administration on Monday said Iran's plan to build 10 more nuclear enrichment facilities and expand to a half-million centrifuges was "unacceptable" -- but once again, in the face of yet another deadline, it offered no specific response beyond wait-and-see. On at least four occasions this year, President Obama has set deadlines for Iran to comply with international demands that it demonstrate transparency and cooperation on nuclear developments. But the Islamic Republic has blatantly ignored all deadlines set by Obama and the United Nations to freeze its uranium enrichment program, prompting critics to say that another "deadline" will have little, if any, impact. Iran announced ambitious plans Sunday to construct another 10 nuclear facilities after the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, called on it to halt work on a uranium enrichment plant. The Iranian cabinet ordered the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to begin building enrichment facilities at five sites that have already been studied and to propose five other locations for construction within two months. The new sites are to be on the same scale as the site at Natanz, which so far has produced around 3,300 pounds of low-enriched uranium. That is more than enough to produce a nuclear warhead if Iran decides to enrich it to a higher level.

Iran's plan would require it to obtain an additional 500,000 centrifuges, the bulk of which likely would be supplied by Russia. On Monday, Reuters reported that Russia plans to start up Iran's first nuclear power station in March 2010 to coincide with the Iranian New Year -- this despite Russia's joining the IAEA's resolution against Iran on Friday. Russia's energy minister, who was visiting Iran on Monday, said he's optimistic of a negotiated settlement.The Obama administration has reacted to Iran's bombast by suggesting that a tougher response from the U.S. and its allies is imminent -- and by blasting the country for choosing to "isolate itself." On Monday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs warned that "time is running out" for the Iranians, while U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice called Tehran's announcement "completely inappropriate" and "unacceptable." But Iran's blatant disregard for any deadlines set by the administration leaves Obama with few options, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said. "I don't think (Obama) has any options other than the use of force," Bolton told FoxNews.com. "He goes through the motions of saying all options are on the table, but I don't believe that and I don't think the Iranians do either." Obama has referenced some sort of deadline with respect to Iran's cooperation on several occasions since taking office -- most recently on Nov. 15, when he said after a bilateral meeting with Russian President Dimitri Medvedev that "we are now running out of time." (Read more...)