- Jul 9, 2005
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Edit: Perhaps I should made the poll less ambiguous.
If you answer YES, it means you believe Obama is "tough" on Israel. If you answer NO, it means you disagree with Obama's "toughness."
I could see how some might argue Obama's approach is too lenient, and thus select "no."
delivery*
Now I understand Obama's decision to make such a fuss over a preliminary announcement of construction in Jerusalem (which was known months before it happened). Obama figures his decision to hold off on shipping bunker-buster kits will seem more like a fair and just punishment for Israel's "misbehavior" rather than part of the general appeasement foreign policy established a year ago.
Doesn't it make sense? Had Obama not picked a fight with Israel over Jerusalem, delaying weapons capable of destroying Iranian nuclear facilities would be a direct violation of promises made 6 months ago and it might embarrass Obama in the media.
But now Israel deserves it, right? At least that's how the media will paint it.
This is my theory. It seems reasonable since Obama's outrage over Israel's decision looked a little too pre-planned. It must have been part of a greater foreign policy strategy developed long ago.
The most comprehensive Iranian sanctions bill has been approved in Congress, but Obama is trying to strip clauses that prohibit trading between Iran-China/Russia/etc...
Such an action would compromise the overall impact of the sanctions and essentially nullify its purpose. Iran's leadership and economy would remain unharmed.
Rather interesting for President that promised "firm" and "steadfast" negotiations with Iran. Can't say I'm surprised.
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This thread has been closed .
Original thread direction has not been followed up on, but the usual Israel vs Palestinian argument has ensued.
If you answer YES, it means you believe Obama is "tough" on Israel. If you answer NO, it means you disagree with Obama's "toughness."
I could see how some might argue Obama's approach is too lenient, and thus select "no."
delivery*
Shortly after Vice President Joe Biden's Israel visit ended on March 11 in high dudgeon over the approval 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem, US president Barack Obama ordered a consignment of Joint Direct Attack Munition- JDAM already on its way to Israel to be diverted to the US Air Force base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. This step, the pointer to a US arms embargo for preventing Israel attacking Iran's nuclear sites, is first revealed here by debkafile's military sources.
US military sources describe the consignment as consisting of 387 JDAM kits for attachment to the warheads of 2,000-pound BLU-109/MK-84 or the 1,000-pound BLU-110/MK-83 bunker-busters for their conversion into smart bombs.
On March 13, debkafile disclosed that the Obama administration was pondering withholding from Israel military hardware that could be used for an Israeli attack on Iran. In late February, we reported that defense minister Ehud Barak had submitted to defense secretary Robert Gates a list of the items Israel required urgently to stand up to a four-front assault by Iran and its allies - mainly air force ordnance, certain types of missile and advanced electronic devices. Barak made it clear that all these items must be present in Israel before the outbreak of hostilities. The requests were so urgent that the minister proposed that if Washington was reluctant to hand them directly to Israel, they could be stored for the interim in the big American emergency depots in Israel's Negev.
The 387 DJAP kits were due for delivery at one of the Israeli Air Force's Negev bases in March. Because of his concern over the US president's step to divert the shipment, prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu decided to take the defense minister with him to Washington next Monday, March 22 and have him present at the meeting with Obama which the US media reports has been fixed for Tuesday (the day after his address to the AIPAC annual conference). Together they will ask for the delayed munitions to be released and handed over as part of any general understandings they may reach.

Now I understand Obama's decision to make such a fuss over a preliminary announcement of construction in Jerusalem (which was known months before it happened). Obama figures his decision to hold off on shipping bunker-buster kits will seem more like a fair and just punishment for Israel's "misbehavior" rather than part of the general appeasement foreign policy established a year ago.
Doesn't it make sense? Had Obama not picked a fight with Israel over Jerusalem, delaying weapons capable of destroying Iranian nuclear facilities would be a direct violation of promises made 6 months ago and it might embarrass Obama in the media.
But now Israel deserves it, right? At least that's how the media will paint it.
This is my theory. It seems reasonable since Obama's outrage over Israel's decision looked a little too pre-planned. It must have been part of a greater foreign policy strategy developed long ago.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/03/17/full_steam_ahead_on_iran_sanctions_billMultiple congressional aides tell The Cable that pressure is mounting for Congress to move forward with its conference to iron out differences between the House and Senate versions of the Iran sanctions legislation, after the French Foreign Minister said that a U.N. Security Council resolution might not surface until June.
The original idea was to finalize the U.S. sanctions legislation only after the U.N. has its say, but the continued delays in New York have put that plan into question. While lawmakers want to give the administration space to line up the necessary support at the Security Council, their patience is wearing thin.
The most comprehensive Iranian sanctions bill has been approved in Congress, but Obama is trying to strip clauses that prohibit trading between Iran-China/Russia/etc...
Such an action would compromise the overall impact of the sanctions and essentially nullify its purpose. Iran's leadership and economy would remain unharmed.
Rather interesting for President that promised "firm" and "steadfast" negotiations with Iran. Can't say I'm surprised.
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This thread has been closed .
Original thread direction has not been followed up on, but the usual Israel vs Palestinian argument has ensued.
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