Former Pentagon Chief Predicts Iran Crisis Soon

Former Secretary of Defense William Perry speaks on “Stockpile Stalemate: The State of Weapons of Mass Destruction” at the Kennedy School of Government. CRIMSON/ NAMI SUNG

From Yahoo News/AP:

WASHINGTON – William Perry, who headed the Pentagon during a 1994 nuclear standoff with North Korea, predicted on Thursday that President-elect Barack Obama will soon face a nuclear crisis with Iran.

Iran is "moving inexorably toward becoming a nuclear power," with ominous implications for the Middle East, Perry said.

"It seems clear that Israel will not sit by idle while Iran takes the final steps toward becoming a nuclear power," Perry told a conference on foreign policy challenges facing the incoming Obama administration. The former Clinton administration defense secretary held out hope that more vigorous U.S. and international diplomacy could reverse North Korea's nuclear weapons program. But he was less confident about stopping Iran's ambitions.

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My Comment: What is William Perry thinking .... we have been at a cold war status with Iran for the past three decades .... a hot status when they supported Hezbollah in blowing up the Marine's barracks in Beirut in the 1980s, and their support of Shiite militia hit squads in Iraq.

Of course Iran is going to test President Obama. While candidate Obama declared that he would have no preconditions in talks with Iran .... Iran has recently stated that if it was to enter into talks with the U.S. .... it has a few conditions that need to be reached first.

Iran's nuclear weapons program will put this conflict into the open. Regardless of what President Obama says, Iran is working according to their own agenda. Their agenda includes a nuclear weapons program and the development of a nuclear arsenal. President Obama will have to react in order to maintain the perception of being a man who is in charge ... Iran knows this .... and they are strategically placing themselves to initiate a confrontation according to their timetable and position.

The same can be said on north Korea.

In From The Cold has some excellent comments on William Perry's observations.