Only American military power can avert a nuclear Iran

Two more examples of why John Kerry's beloved "multilateralism" will open the door to Armageddon:

1) "Sounding an alarm over nuclear proliferation, the head of the U.N. atomic watchdog agency said Monday that more than 40 countries have the know-how to produce nuclear weapons and suggested some may not be forthright about their intentions."

Understand that Mr. El Baradei is purporting to have been taken by surprise by this realization.

"Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, also urged Iran to heed international demands to freeze technology that can be used for nuclear weapons, and cooperate with his probe of `serious concerns' about Tehran's nuclear activities."

Or else...?

"The resolution passed by the [IAEA] was its toughest yet on Tehran but didn't go as far as the United States had sought - stopping short of saying Iran will automatically be sent to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions if it fails to meet the demands by November...Suggesting that Iran may have to answer to the U.N. Security Council if it defies the demands, the resolution said the next board meeting in November `will decide whether or not further steps are appropriate' in ensuring Iran complies."

This is a "multilateralist" circle-jerk. The "international community" spent twelve years twirling the same daisy-chain with Saddam Hussein, and what was the end result? He bought off most of the Security Council through the "Oil for Food" scam, the UN sanction regime was collapsing as a result, and only direct American military action - after yet another appeal to the UN - finally solved the problem by destroying the regime that was causing it.

So why is even the Bush Administration flaggelating the same necrotized equinoid vis-a-vie the mullahs? Mostly, I'm hoping, to buy time and get past the election. But 'tis dubious how much time is being bought when the Iranians respond with such undisguised contempt.

2) "Iran on Sunday denounced as `illegal' demands from the U.N. atomic watchdog agency that it freeze all work on uranium enrichment - a technology that can be used for nuclear weapons - and threatened to limit cooperation with the agency if it moves toward sanctions.

"But Hasan Rowhani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, stopped short of outright rejection of the International Atomic Energy Agency's demands and held out the possibility of negotiations on the issue."

IOW, "We piss in your punchbowl, but would be happy to serve you another drink."

And whereas with Bush the spirit is willing, but the "flesh" may be weak, with John Kerry the "spirit" is the same brand of "demonic" pacifism that Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton practiced with North Korea a decade ago, which provided them with the small but expanding nuclear arsenal they weren't supposed to acquire, either.

So let's add this up: one leg of the "Axis of Evil" is already nuclear, and therefore irremovable; the second leg is just about nuclear, and Kerry would help them get there; and the third leg, Iraq, he would essentially throw back into the greedy, corrupt hands of the same powers who helped Saddam Hussein plunder it, and if they didn't take it (The "Axis of Weasels" is already saying they won't get involved), he'd abandon the Iraqis to a de facto Iranian takeover.

Michael Ledeen asks on NRO today, "Can you imagine these creatures with atomic bombs?

If John Kerry and the Democrats get their way, it won't require imagination for much longer.