"The next American president will inherit many foreign policy challenges, but surely one of the biggest will be the Cold War. Yes, the next U.S. president is going to be a Cold War president - but this Cold War is with Iran.
"For now, Team America is losing on just about every front. How come? The short answer is that Iran is smart and ruthless, America is dumb and weak, and the Sunni Arab world is feckless and divided. Any other questions?"
Sadly, this is all too true. Obama wants to talk, and Clinton doesn't. And as the author rightly points out, talking (or not) is best done from a position of power or leverage (something we have neither of at the moment). And without it, the only way to get some of either is to either give up something we don't care to, or exercise options we don't care to. Neither are particularly enticing options at this moment in time.
Sadly, Obama seems more likely to be the one to give ground on the Middle East than Clinton. And with Syria and Iran in cahoots with Hezbollah to subvert Lebanon, and with the U.S. already being "not liked, not feared and not respected," giving ground doesn't really seem to be a profitable option. I mean, really? What's to be gained?
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