WHAT AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE – AT 10:17 A.M. ET:  American policy toward Iran has essentially collapsed.  The headline on the story reads:  WEST DRAFTS WEAKENED IRAN SANCTIONS.  This is the result of more than one year of "engagement" by Barack Obama:

Western countries, under pressure from Russia and China, drafted a blueprint for a fourth round of sanctions against Iran which would not tighten the ban on trade between Western banks and the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), Israel Radio reported overnight Friday.

Diplomats at the United Nations were quoted as saying that the United States, Britain, France and Germany accepted Russia’s proposal that the West only ban trading with newly-established Iranian banks, and not increase existing trade limitations with the CBI.

China holds a position similar to Russia’s.

The new UN draft for sanctions against Iran would not put the Islamic republic in a black list of countries obligating all member states to avoid trade with the country, but does allow smaller entities, like the US or the entire bloc of European Union member countries, to implement their own sanctions.

Russia proposed that oversight on trade with Iran be made according to a similar model as current global trade with North Korea.

Additionally, Russia opposes a full weapons embargo against Iran.

A Moscow official was quoted by Israel Radio as saying that the deal to supply Iran with the S-300 anti-missile defense system would go ahead. During a recent visit by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to the country, Moscow promised not to implement a deal to sell the system after Netanyahu convinced the Russians that such a move would destabilize the region.

COMMENT:  We have gotten absolutely nowhere with Iran, and trying to get Hillary Clinton's promised "crippling" sanctions through the UN has proved fruitless. 

I suspect we're being laughed at in Tehran, and a few other places as well.  This is the fruit of a left-wing Democratic foreign policy.  Harry Truman must be turning in his grave. 

Question:  When will Hillary Clinton realize she's on a doomed mission, and leave, before she's consumed by the failure?  Or does she, a child of the sixties, secretly believe in this absurdity?

March 6,  2010