Iran

The article, "Iran talks yield little progress" (May 25), describes the hypocrisy that drives U.S. foreign policy. We demand that Iran not be able to enrich uranium, even though the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty allows it, while offering Iran nothing in return. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted that there would be no letup in sanctions against Iran, even as talks continue. Almost all of the hostility in the U.S. toward Iran comes from Israel and its powerful pro-Israel lobby, which has near total control over our politicians and our Middle East policy.

Many people in the U.S. and Israel believe a war with Iran would be disastrous and that it would invite a full scale regional conflict in which the U.S. would bear most of the burden in money and lives ("The president and the Jews," April 25). President Obama has Israel's back, but his first job is to protect America by not engaging in yet another costly and unnecessary war in the Middle East. If the Obama administration is indeed leaking information to thwart an unwise Israeli attack on Iran, well, with a friend like Mr. Netanyahu, sometimes you have to take away the car keys.

It is remarkable that Shibley Telhami can expound 10 points on the Iranian nuclear issue yet totally omit three of the most important aspects of this critical issue ("Iran, Israel, America: 10 points of interconnection," April 23). First, Iran's leaders repeatedly call for the destruction of Israel and arm and fund Islamic extremists responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans soldiers. Second, the Iranian regime believes that the arrival of the Shia messiah known as the "Mahdi" can be hastened by annihilating Israel, the "Little Satan," and the United States, the "Great Satan.

Franklin D. Rooseveltreceived 85 percent to 90 percent of the Jewish vote in 1932, 1936, and 1940. How was it, then, that in the run-up to the 1944 election, FDR's top Jewish supporters were worried that he might lose a significant portion of the Jewish vote? President Barack Obama's election strategists might want to examine this historical episode - especially in light of stinging comments made this month about the president's Israel policy by the editor of the largest American Jewish weekly newspaper.

Alireza Jafarzadeh's recent commentary ("Iran'snuclear genie is out of the bottle," April 16) is eerily reminiscent of the manipulations of Iraqi exile Ahmad Chalabi who shamelessly fed the US government false information with the express aim of advocating a military invasion of Iraq in 2003 in order to promote his own personal political and economic fortunes. Just as Mr. Jafarzadeh openly sides with the exiled Iranian terrorist group Mujahedin-e Khalq, Mr. Chalibi lived in London while leading an umbrella Iraqi opposition group (the Iraqi National Congress)

After a yearlong round of escalating international economic sanctions and rhetoric, the regime in Iran has finally come around to raising expectations that it will take some constructive steps in reining in its nuclear weapons ambitions. But this cycle of threat and accommodation has played out before, and its outcome should have been predictable. According to the information provided by Iranian dissidents obtained from their sources inside the regime, as well as the U.N.'s atomic watchdog agency, the nuclear genie is out of the bottle in Iran, and the regime's genius for delay and subterfuge will only give it the time to complete the dash to a workable weapon.

The United States State Department today declared an announcement about Iran's nuclear program, as well asNorth Korea's State Department. Also, the US Department of Agriculture met with Governor Cuomo and Governor Christie, along with President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and President Barack Obama of the United States of America. One of the topics discussed was a recent E coli bacteria test update and other tests signed off by UN health leaders. Also in the news, several world banks met to discuss loan interest rates.

Not long ago, an astute reader noted that it has been nearly two years since I wrote in a column that "most experts now estimate that Iran needs about 18 months to complete a nuclear device and a missile to carry it. " His point - that those estimates were way off - was a good one, especially since experts are still estimating that Iran is 18 months away from being able to build a nuclear weapon. So what gives? Why does Iran always seem to be about 18 months away from a nuclear bomb, at least in the eyes of U.S. officials?

Up to this point, sanctions against Iran have only caused it to accelerate its drive to build a nuclear weapons capability, with the stated goal of wiping out Israel. As long as Russia, China and India trade with Iran and are willing to pay the currently inflated prices for its oil, there will be no cessation of Iran's drive to build a bomb, and any sanctions imposed by the U. S. and its allies will be ineffective. Meanwhile, Israel is living under the threat of annihilation. The window of opportunity is rapidly closing for an effective military strike against Iran.

The Democratic congressional candidates in Maryland's 6th District largely agree on major issues facing the country: They all favor immigration reform, more infrastructure spending to help boost the economy and a woman's right to have an abortion. But despite broadly similar positions, a few subtle differences emerged at a forum in Gaithersburg on Sunday, where several hundred voters turned out to hear the five candidates speak. They offered different answers on how to handle Iran, for instance, and what should be done to address ethical lapses in Washington.