OPINION:
As the world — particularly in the Middle East — holds its breath, President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry try to persuade us that a lion is really a lamb. It’s a tough sell and so far only the most devout Obama-ites have drunk the Kool-Aid.
The entire balance of power in the Middle East has suddenly taken a turn for the worse with Russia now preparing to deliver its long-range SAM-300 to Iran. To add to Iran’s defensive structure, the SAM-300 is extremely mobile, carried on the flatbed of a truck. Only the F-35 Stealth bomber can outrun it. The problem is that the Stealth isn’t in service. This makes Iran’s nuclear sites protected by SAM-300 missiles almost (but not absolutely) iron-clad.
With the F-35 out of town for the time being, another option is the 30,000-pound Super Bunker-Buster Bomb specifically designed to penetrate deeply protected targets, much larger than its 5,000-pound predecessor. So far Mr. Obama has refused to sell any to Israel.
The SBBB is likely the only weapon, short of a nuclear attack, that can penetrate Iran’s defenses at Fordow. But the SBBB is so heavy that seemingly only America’s B-52 can carry it, and Mr. Obama is unlikely to let Israel get hold of any. Of course this could be made moot with a full American airstrike, or one coordinated with Israel, both of which are highly unlikely given that twice Israel was ready to attack until Mr. Obama demanded that it stand down.
It remains subject to conjecture as to whether Israel could do it herself. But it has to be done before the SAM-300s are operational. Otherwise there will be hell to pay for America’s appeasement.
ALAN B. KATZ
Melville, N.Y.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.