From Russia with love

By Jim Killebrew

[January 24, 2015]  A report from Reuters indicated the Russian government has revised their plans to provide the Russian S-300 air defense missile system to Iran. The plan to provide the missile defense system to Iran was put on hold in 2010 under strong lobbying efforts from the United States and Israel complaining the system could be used as a shield to protect Iran's nuclear facilities as they continued to move toward completing their plans to produce nuclear weapons.

The missile system can carry a payload for a distance of 125 miles, which of course, would be in striking distance from anywhere on the border of Israel. More recently, the Iranian government has negotiated with the Russian government to reopen the sale of the missiles as a means of protection from any attack that might be planned against Iran. The relationship between the United States and the Russian government resemble the relations during the height of the Cold War between the two countries. That has resulted from the tensions that arose as Russia invaded Crimea Ukraine and when Moscow sent troops and arms into Ukraine as a support to pro-Russian rebels that Russian leaders believed wanted Russia's help because they were part of the homeland.

In the meantime, the President is challenging Congress to hold off on restarting sanctions against the Iranian government since the President continues to negotiate with the Iranians regarding their nuclear development program that will likely be used to make nuclear weapons. Congress seems to be holding firm on their intention of imposing the sanctions. They cite the President as having drawn the line for a deadline date six months from the beginning of the negotiations, then extending it again for another six months; and now being in yet another extension that is giving the Iranians the needed time to finish their development of weapon-grade nuclear material.

So, if Russia is going to give Iran a missile defense system, and the U.S. Administration wants to continue to "negotiate" with Iran for many more months hoping to achieve a decision from them they will cease in their attempts to build nuclear weapons and delivery systems, does it seem that it is the United States that has the "JV" team in its Administration? To what extent should we trust Iran to keep their word; to what extent should we trust Russia to keep their word? And by the way, to what extent should we trust our own Administration to keep their word? Let's ask Benjamin Netanyahu when he comes to speak to our Congress.

[By JIM KILLEBREW]