John Bolton: War with Iran No Longer an Option

This guy, John Bolton, was one of the advocates of war with Iran and now he is claiming that war with Iran is not an option any more. It is so interesting how politicians change their positions as frequently as they change their underwears:

Washington DC - In a complete reversal of his previous position, former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton today declared that he believes a military strike and US-sponsored regime change in Iran are no longer viable options. His comments, which directly contrast with numerous op-eds he has published in recent months, came during an address to the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.

"I have reluctantly turned to the conclusion that I have resisted for the past eight years that we are going to have to deal with a nuclear Iran because everything else has failed."  He went on to say that "all debates are over" concerning negotiations, a military strike, which he says would now be a bad decision, and regime change, which he says the US is five years too late to attempt.

Bolton attributed his change of heart to the US and its allies' squandering of the most important asset in dealing with Iran: time.  Additionally, he pointed to the weakness of current UN sanctions against Iran's nuclear program, calling them "a joke."

Alluding to the possibility that an Israeli military strike might still be possible before January 20, the former UN Ambassador said such an event would be unlikely due to Israel's internal political confusion and upcoming elections in February.

Also presenting was Gary Milhollin, director of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control.  Milhollin pointed to the recent IAEA report on Iran's nuclear program published last month, which concluded that Iran has stockpiled nearly enough low-enriched uranium for a so-called "breakout capacity."  Milhollin predicted that Iran could theoretically develop its first nuclear weapon in 2 or 3 months, and possibly even a second and third weapon by next November.

The only thing keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, he said, was the political decision to openly thwart the international nonproliferation regime--something Iran has not yet decided to do.  This would require Tehran to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and kick out all the remaining IAEA inspectors in the country.

Both speakers agreed that, though it may be unavoidable, living with a nuclear Iran is a highly unsettling prospect for the United States, and one that puts the incoming Obama administration in an unenviable position.