US President Barack Obama's assertion Sunday, Sept. 23, to CBS - that on national security decisions, he would do what is right for America and “block out any noise that’s out there” – finally dashed any hopes entertained by Israel’s Binyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak of US military cooperation for cutting down a nuclear Iran. Obama’s words rounded out an Iranian general’s dismissal of Israel as lacking the military ability and courage to attack his country.   So will Netanyahu go to New York after all?

President Barack Obama’s refusal Tuesday Sept. 11 to see Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu because “the president’s schedule will not permit that,” left Jerusalem thunderstruck – and Washington too. At one stroke, round after round of delicate negotiations on Iran between the two governments collapsed. By rebuffing Netanyahu, Obama turned the clock back to the nadir in relations marked by Gen. Martin Dempsey when he said on Aug. 30: “I don’t want to be complicit if they [Israel] choose to do it” – meaning attack Iran.

President Barack Obama is sending CIA Director David Petraeus in a hurry to Israel Sept. 3.
He will fly in from a visit to Ankara Sunday, where too he faces recriminations over US handling of the Syrian crisis. His visit to Israel is a non-binding gesture that will not stem the rising ill will between Jerusalem and Washington of Iran, because neither the White House nor US top soldier Gen. Martin Dempsey is backtracking or apologizing for his derogatory remarks about the IDF's ability to take Iran on.

The US downgrade of its role in the annual joint drill with Israel in October has the effect of dismembering their joint strategy for deterring and intercepting an Iranian/Hizballah/Syrian assault on Israel; it slashes Israel’s notice of incoming Iranian missiles from 14 minutes, and throws out Ehud Barak’s worst-case estimate of 500 dead from war with Iran. debkafile: Binyamin Netanyahu must demand a White House retraction of Gen. Dempsey's denigration of the morality of an Israel attack and respond to Hurricane Obama.

In a significant policy U-turn on Iran, anonymous Pentagon officials disclosed Thursday, March 1, that “military options being prepared start with providing refueling for Israeli planes and include attacking the pillars of the clerical regime.” This was the first Washington reference to possible joint US-Israeli military action against Iran.  Israel earlier called on the US to set red lines for Iran’s nuclear projects and to spell out military contingencies instead of the worn-out “all options are on the table” mantra.

US National Security Adviser James Jones denied the US had a new Middle East plan. He was replying to reporters' questions aboard Air Force One on their way back from Prague. His denial followed Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's withdrawal from the US-sponsored summit on nuclear terror opening in Washington April 11. Washington saw this as a protest against a US policy Israel considered detrimental to its security interests, such as ignoring its need for secure borders and trying to impose peace.