According to news out of Israel the largest fleet of American warships in many years, accompanied by an Israeli navy ship, traversed the Suez Canal. An Iranian flotilla and two Lebanese ships are en route to Gaza with relief supplies and activists.
Israel has pledged to use force to prevent the supply ships from running their blockade.The supply ships plan to run the blockade. The U.S. recently imposed sanctions on Iran, on top of United Nations sanctions, that include stopping and inspecting Iran shipments.
Surging anti-Israel sentiment around the world over the last confrontation with activists and Iranian insouciance toward negotiating with either Israel or the U.S., make some form of armed confrontation inevitable.
When Israel acts and promised military reprisals from Iran and Hamas result, will President Obama order our Navy to stand with our sworn ally against mutually sworn enemies? The president is facing the most potentially consequential foreign policy decision of his term.
Barack Obama must become the leader he has not been on health care, the economy, unemployment and the Gulf oil spill.
UPDATE:
Israel eased restrictions on imports to Gaza and received a Katusha rocket launched into Israeli territory by Hamas in response. The Associated Press reports that Iran is sending another ship to run the blockade. A confrontation with Israeli and U.S. ships seems unavoidable.
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