Iran Is Not an Existential Threat

Sen. Joe Lieberman is foaming at the mouth at the perceived threat of Iran against his favorite client, Israel. Seems that if we don't let Israel deal with the situation, Big Joe thinks that we're next.

LIEBERMAN: That’s up to Israel obviously, but I would say that obviously Israel is first in the line of Iranian fire. And it represents an existential threat to Israel. But you know who is next? The Arab countries in the Middle East and they’re worried about the Iranian program and want us to ask strongly to stop it. And we’re next! Because Ahmadinejad in Tehran constantly leads the mobs in shouts of death to America. And they mean it.

Experts at the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation would beg to differ. There's nothing like a side-by-side comparison of military weapons to push the point that Iran's not in any condition to threaten the United States, and one might assume (given Israel's tendancy to fly off and bomb things) Iran isn't going to threaten Israel either. Even if Iran gets a nuke, it lacks the fundamental military capability to see any threats through to completion.

So Joe? Take a deep breath and go back to massauging your boy John Sidney McCain's shoulders. You had fun with him in Colombia, just fly to California and get married already.