Security Council Deadlocks on Iran: So What Else is New?

Are we really surprised that the U.N. Security Council deadlocked on what to do about Iran?

Of course not.

Russia and China are trying to get Iran off the agenda and back into the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) fold. The U.S., Great Britain and France are trying to get the council to take action.

It is my opinion that council action is not going to happen because Russia and China both want a nuclear-armed Iran to confront the U.S. and keep it occupied while they go after their own military goals.

Russia wants a weaker U.S. so it backs off of future Russian aggression against the Ukraine, Georgia and Chechnya, and China wants to go after Taiwan with a full-scale invasion.

Both probably wouldn't mind seeing the U.S. mixing it up with North Korea either; it would work to their advantage as well, in spite of what both are saying about North Korea's nuclear program.

So the U.S. should conclude it's business in Iraq soon and not get into shooting wars with Iran or with anyone else until our military is replenished and retooled.

Threats of U.S. military force are heeded only if the nation being threatened believes that the U.S. has the strength to back up it's threats with overwhelming force. And the general view is that we do not have enough front-line forces in reserve to deal with other international emergencies should they arise.

We have to define what victory is in Iraq and move toward it; when the stated goal is achieved, we withdraw from Iraq.

Politicians have to learn that military strength is a valuable commodity and not a personal plaything to be discarded when it's mission is either accomplished or cancelled.