The Man Who Brought Michelle To Prague

Barack Obama's Prague speech addressed the topic of nuclear proliferation. Headline: The president has nothing much new to say about the subject.

Iran has yet to build a nuclear weapon. And my Administration will seek engagement with Iran based upon mutual interests and mutual respect, and we will present a clear choice. We want Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations, politically and economically. We will support Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy with rigorous inspections. That is a path that the Islamic Republic can take. Or the government can choose increased isolation, international pressure, and a potential nuclear arms race in the region that will increase insecurity for all.

Gee, I wonder how that decision will come out?

Still, there was some real content to the speech: disturbing content.

The Czech Republic and Poland have been courageous in agreeing to host a defense against these missiles. As long as the threat from Iran persists, we intend to go forward with a missile defense system that is cost-effective and proven. If the Iranian threat is eliminated, we will have a stronger basis for security, and the driving force for missile defense construction in Europe at this time will be removed.

The Czechs and Poles have accepted significant domestic and international risks in order to cooperate with the US on missile defense. They have defied Russian threats and trade pressures. Now the Obama administration is signaling that it will likely pull the rug out from under them. The president has placed two conditions on the defense project: he will proceed only if the system is "cost-effective and proven" (which Democratic critics always insist defenses never are) and also if Iran fails to sign some kind of agreement that can be represented as eliminating its nuclear weapons threat (but the Iranians are always willing to sign agreements - it's only complying that they object to). The idea that defenses are needed against missiles generally, from all sources, and not just Iran is being discarded. Worse: Behind that paragraph is a too-cute-by-half notion that the US can somehow mobilize Russian dislike of US missile defenses as a lever to persuade Russia to join sanctions against Iran.

What you hear are the gathering sounds of Central European allies being left in the lurch. And here I thought we'd seen the end of American unilateralism and arrogance?