Candidate Barack Obama recently, while on the stump, criticized Bush administration policy on Iran--and showed why, in foreign policy, he's not yet ready for prime time: "It is important to have tough sanctions on Iran, particularly on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard which supports terrorism,” Mr. Obama said. “But these sanctions must not be linked to any attempt to keep our troops in Iraq, or to take military action against Iran.”
No, he's not saying anything here he hasn't said before.
But it reminds us of what Candidate Obama still hasn't learned. He has yet to grasp that, in foreign policy, you need to keep your opponents guessing. He has failed to understand that, especially in dealing with hostile nations, especially in seeking to pressure them, you mustn't publicly take ANYTHING off the table. Sure, it could be that, privately, national leaders will have decided that there are some things we won't do. But you don't admit that publicly. That will keep the opponent guessing, and thus feeling more pressure, and perhaps being more flexible.
