Damage Control?

Was there a need to quickly respond to the NY Times article by Ronen Bergman indicating Israel will likely bomb Iran some time this year?

Sanctions and diplomacy may yet persuade Iran to give up its nuclear program, as its leaders have shown a rational “cost-benefit approach” in their calculations, senior US officials said.

The top intelligence officials suggested Tuesday that military conflict with Iran was not inevitable, despite soaring tensions with Tehran and a war of nerves over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key oil trade choke point.

“We judge Iran’s nuclear decision-making is guided by a cost-benefit approach, which offers the international community opportunities to influence Tehran,” Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

  Raw Story

Well, yes, and increasing the pressure with further sanctions, which seems to be the preferred method of dealing with Iran, is not exactly diplomatic, nor can it rationally be expected to make Iran want to give up its nuclear program.

Come to think of it, did tougher sanctions change the Cuban regime?  Did tougher sanctions lead to peaceful settlement of issues in Iraq?  Surely no one seriously believes tougher sanctions do anything but "soften" a country so that if we do decide to attack them, they're weakened. 

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.