Chuck Hagel's Nomination As Defense Secretary: A Message of Forgive and Forget from Obama to Khameini

There is a reason why former New York mayor Ed Koch is concerned about the likely nomination by Obama of former senator Chuck Hagel as the next US secretary of defense (see: http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/12/15/ed-koch-on-chuck-hagel-as-defense-secretary-it-would-be-a-terrible-appointment/). According to Koch:

"Such an appointment would give great comfort to the Arab world that would think that President Obama is seeking to put space between Israel and his administration."

In fact, the nomination of Hagel has little to do with "the Arab world" and everything to do with Iran. The nomination of Hagel, which according to a democratic source quoted by The Algemeiner is "almost a done deal," is a conciliatory message from Obama to Iran's Supreme Leader Khameini, signaling that the US is seeking to avoid confrontation.

Hagel's history:

• In 2000 Hagel was one of four Senators who wouldn't sign a Senate letter supporting Israel.

• In 2004 Hagel wouldn't sign a letter asking Bush to focus upon Iran's nuclear program at the G-8 summit.

• In 2006 Hagel was one of 12 Senators who wouldn't ask the EU to declare Hezbollah, Iran's surrogate in Lebanon, a terrorist organization. Hezbollah was responsible for the 1983 Beirut Barracks Bombing, which killed 241 American soldiers.

More specifically, with respect to Iran's nuclear development program, J. Dana Stuster examines Hagel's 2008 book, "America: Our Next Chapter" in a December 14, 2012 Foreign Policy article (http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/12/14/chuck_hagel_wants_to_be_dwight_eisenhower):

"'Isolating nations is risky,' he writes. 'It turns them inward, and makes their citizens susceptible to the most demagogic fear mongering.' The answer, he says, is engagement. 'Distasteful as we may find that country's rulers, the absence of any formal governmental relations with Iran ensures that we will continue to conduct this delicate international relationship through the press and speeches, as well as through surrogates and third parties, on issues of vital strategic importance to our national interests. Such a course can only result in diplomatic blind spots that will lead to misunderstandings, miscalculation, and, ultimately, conflict.'

So Hagel supports direct negotiations with Iran. He laments the lack of diplomatic ties and toys with the idea of a consulate in Tehran. He also reflects fondly on meetings he had with Iranian ambassadors to the United Nations in New York.

Hagel even flirts with the idea that an Iranian bomb wouldn't be the end of the world. '[T]he genie of nuclear armaments is already out of the bottle, no matter what Iran does. In this imperfect world, sovereign nation-states possessing nuclear weapons capability (as opposed to stateless terrorist groups) will often respond with some degree of responsible, or at least sane, behavior. These governments, however hostile they may be toward us, have some appreciation of the horrific results of a nuclear war and the consequences they would suffer.'"

When it acquires its first nuclear weapon, Iran will "respond with some degree of responsible, or at least sane, behavior"? And for that reason, the US and Israel should ignore almost daily declarations out of Iran, calling for Israel's annihilation? Given how Iran hangs homosexuals, stones to death women, and oppresses its Baha'i, Kurdish and Sunni minorities, I don't share Hagel's blithe optimism concerning Tehran's future conduct. Neither do the Saudis.

Hagel's nomination by Obama would be an insult to the memory of the 241 US servicemen who died in Beirut. Not only friends of Israel, such as Ed Koch, should be offended and distraught by this gesture to the mullahs.

All this comes as no surprise. In his heart of hearts, Obama is no friend of Israel, and with November out of the way, it's payback time for Netanyahu. Koch should have seen this in the cards.