Reid Distances From Obama on Israel and Iran
Harry Reid releases a letter to the president offering his support for the administration's "decision to make the Middle East a priority." But amidst all the praise, the intended audience will spot numerous attempts by Reid to distance himself from the the president.
1) The administration has made a big show of pressuring Israel on settlements, while some supporters of Israel have criticized the president and urged a more private approach. Reid tells Obama that he "hope[s] your administration will work behind the scenes with all involved on the steps they must take to move forward." [emphasis mine]
2) The administration has made clear that it views efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon as linked to the the peace process. President Obama said that the peace process "‘strengthens our hand in the international community in dealing with a potential Iranian threat," but critics of the president's approach say he as having it exactly backwards -- the peace process hinges on dealing first with Iran's nuclear program and its support for terrorism. Reid sides with the president's critics and writes, "I believe that resolving the problem of Iran’s nuclear program will help facilitate the Arab-Israeli peace process you and I both seek to promote."
3) In his Cairo speech, President Obama said the Jewish aspiration for a homeland was "rooted in a tragic history," but many supporters of Israel reject the notion that the state was "established to atone for Europe's crimes," a prominent trope in anti-Israel propaganda, and criticized the president for failing to acknowledge the Jewish people's "2,000-year continuous quest to rebuild a national homeland." Reid goes out of his way in the letter to "recognize the historic kingdom of Israel, which was established more than 3,000 years ago."
Reid also says that "negotiations will be successful only with a renewed commitment from the Palestinians to be a true partner in peace," something the president has not called for and has little hope of obtaining. The majority leader is pushing the president to take a more even-handed approach to the Middle East and to deal with the Iranian nuclear threat first.
Full letter after the jump...
President Barack Obama
The White HouseWashington, DC
Dear Mr. President:
I am writing in support of your decision to make the Middle East a priority for your administration. I also applaud you for reiterating during your recent speech in Cairo the importance of America’s “unbreakable” bond with Israel.
Like you, I am deeply committed to bringing peace to this critical, but troubled, region. I believe negotiations will be successful only with a renewed commitment from the Palestinians to be a true partner in peace. Arab states in the region must also act to support the peace process. All parties must recognize Israel’s right to exist, end terrorism, and respect previous agreements made with Israel.
The pursuit of peace is never easy. Many difficult decisions lie ahead. I hope your administration will work behind the scenes with all involved on the steps they must take to move forward.
As these discussions continue, it is also vital this process not take away from your commitment to deal with the ongoing threat from Iran. Iran has continued to call for Israel’s destruction while repeatedly defying the international community with its nuclear program. I believe that resolving the problem of Iran’s nuclear program will help facilitate the Arab-Israeli peace process you and I both seek to promote.
Last year, the Senate passed my bipartisan resolution to proudly celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the modern state of Israel and recognize the historic kingdom of Israel, which was established more than 3,000 years ago. Today, we must once again stand with our ally and ensure the continuation of the Jewish state.
I look forward to working closely with you to achieve the goal of a long and lasting peace in the Middle East, one in which a Palestinian state is willing to live side-by-side in peace with a strong and secure Israel.
Posted by Michael Goldfarb on June 16, 2009 01:12 AM Permalink
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
State Dept. Spokesman Refuses to Condemn Crackdown on Protesters
Fox News:
State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters Monday that the United States is concerned about allegations of ballot fraud.
Kelly described the U.S. government as 'deeply troubled' by the events in Iran, which is a stronger expression of concern than over the weekend when Vice President Biden cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election.
When pressed by a reporter, Kelly declined to condemn the Iranian security forces for their crackdown on street protesters. And he said the U.S. knows too little about the conduct of the election to say for sure whether there was fraud.
Posted by John McCormack on June 15, 2009 01:55 PM Permalink"
I absolutely agree the the US does not have enough information to make a judgement call about the Iranian elections. They should however condemn the violence being committed against the Iranian people by the police force.
State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters Monday that the United States is concerned about allegations of ballot fraud.
Kelly described the U.S. government as 'deeply troubled' by the events in Iran, which is a stronger expression of concern than over the weekend when Vice President Biden cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election.
When pressed by a reporter, Kelly declined to condemn the Iranian security forces for their crackdown on street protesters. And he said the U.S. knows too little about the conduct of the election to say for sure whether there was fraud.
Posted by John McCormack on June 15, 2009 01:55 PM Permalink"
I absolutely agree the the US does not have enough information to make a judgement call about the Iranian elections. They should however condemn the violence being committed against the Iranian people by the police force.
LAKERS FANS RIOT AND LOOT IN LA... WTF?!
Does this make sense to anyone? The Lakers win. Thier fans start vandalizng thier own city? An excuse for animals to riot?
Click for photos... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,526304,00.html
Click for photos... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,526304,00.html
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Foreign media being murdered and imprisoned in IRAN
TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says his re-election was "real and free" and cannot be questioned — but that isn't stopping his campaign rival from appealing the results.
Reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi accused the government of voter fraud and many of his supporters have clashed with police in Tehran's streets.
"Today, I have submitted my official formal request to the council to cancel the election result," Mousavi said in a statement. "I urge you Iranian nation to continue your nationwide protests in a peaceful and legal way."
Ahmadinejad dismissed Tehran's worst unrest in a decade as "not important," comparing it to passions after a football match. He insisted Friday's vote was "real and free" and the results showing his landslide victory were fair and legitimate. Along Tehran's Vali Asr street — where activists supporting rival candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi held a huge pre-election rally last week — tens of thousands marched in support of Ahmadinejad, waving Iranian flags and shouting his name.
Iran restored cell phone service that had been down in the capital since Saturday. But Iranians could not send text messages from their phones, and the government increased its Internet filtering in an apparent bit to undercut liberal voices. Web sites linked to reformists' new hero Mir Hossein Mousavi, who declared himself the true winner of Friday's presidential race and urged backers to resist the government, were down. Social networking sites including Facebook and Twitter were also not working.
The U.S. has refused to accept Ahmadinejad's claim of a landslide re-election victory said it was looking into allegations of election fraud. There are no independent election monitors in Iran.
Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday he has doubts about whether the election was free and fair. He said the U.S. and other countries need more time to analyze the results before making a better judgment.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday she hoped the outcome reflects the "genuine will and desire" of Iranian voters.
The European Union also said it was "concerned about alleged irregularities" during Friday's vote.
Past Iranian elections were considered generally fair. In 2005, when Ahmadinejad was first elected, the losing candidates claimed irregularities at the polls, but the charges were never investigated.
Mousavi called on his backers to avoid violence, but he is still talking tough about pressing his claims of election fraud. He charges the polls closed early but has not fully outlined all of his fraud allegations.
As you can see in this video the Iranian police are beating protesters, as they protest the alleged re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Reports are coming out of Iran that foreign journalists have been beaten and hauled away by the Iranian police. They are confiscating tapes and camera equipment. They are not renewing press visa's which are renewable every 10 days. So in another 10 days there will BE NO FOREIGN PRESS LEFT IN IRAN. The govt has blacked out all media. the state run media is covering Iran winning a Tae Kwon Doe tournament. Facebook, twitter and other websites have been shut down in Iran keeping information from coming out about what is actually happening on the streets of Tehran. Most of the video that made it out of Tehran has been taken on cell phones and other small devices.
Reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi accused the government of voter fraud and many of his supporters have clashed with police in Tehran's streets.
"Today, I have submitted my official formal request to the council to cancel the election result," Mousavi said in a statement. "I urge you Iranian nation to continue your nationwide protests in a peaceful and legal way."
Ahmadinejad dismissed Tehran's worst unrest in a decade as "not important," comparing it to passions after a football match. He insisted Friday's vote was "real and free" and the results showing his landslide victory were fair and legitimate. Along Tehran's Vali Asr street — where activists supporting rival candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi held a huge pre-election rally last week — tens of thousands marched in support of Ahmadinejad, waving Iranian flags and shouting his name.
Iran restored cell phone service that had been down in the capital since Saturday. But Iranians could not send text messages from their phones, and the government increased its Internet filtering in an apparent bit to undercut liberal voices. Web sites linked to reformists' new hero Mir Hossein Mousavi, who declared himself the true winner of Friday's presidential race and urged backers to resist the government, were down. Social networking sites including Facebook and Twitter were also not working.
The U.S. has refused to accept Ahmadinejad's claim of a landslide re-election victory said it was looking into allegations of election fraud. There are no independent election monitors in Iran.
Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday he has doubts about whether the election was free and fair. He said the U.S. and other countries need more time to analyze the results before making a better judgment.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday she hoped the outcome reflects the "genuine will and desire" of Iranian voters.
The European Union also said it was "concerned about alleged irregularities" during Friday's vote.
Past Iranian elections were considered generally fair. In 2005, when Ahmadinejad was first elected, the losing candidates claimed irregularities at the polls, but the charges were never investigated.
Mousavi called on his backers to avoid violence, but he is still talking tough about pressing his claims of election fraud. He charges the polls closed early but has not fully outlined all of his fraud allegations.
As you can see in this video the Iranian police are beating protesters, as they protest the alleged re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Reports are coming out of Iran that foreign journalists have been beaten and hauled away by the Iranian police. They are confiscating tapes and camera equipment. They are not renewing press visa's which are renewable every 10 days. So in another 10 days there will BE NO FOREIGN PRESS LEFT IN IRAN. The govt has blacked out all media. the state run media is covering Iran winning a Tae Kwon Doe tournament. Facebook, twitter and other websites have been shut down in Iran keeping information from coming out about what is actually happening on the streets of Tehran. Most of the video that made it out of Tehran has been taken on cell phones and other small devices.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
