Posted on 07/07/2009 5:49:45 AM PDT by SJackson
There's little doubt that US Vice President Joe Biden was signaling, in his Sunday television interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, that the Obama administration would not stand in the way if Israel chose military force to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons.
Biden: Israel has the right to determine its course of action
GS: Prime Minister Netanyahu has made it pretty clear that he agreed with President Obama to give until the end of the year for this whole process of engagement to work. After that, he's prepared to take matters into his own hands. Is that the right approach?
Biden: Look, Israel can determine for itself - it's a sovereign nation - what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else.
GS: Whether we agree or not?
Biden: Whether we agree or not. They're entitled to do that. Any sovereign nation is... But there is no pressure from any nation that's going to alter our behavior as to how to proceed. What we believe is in the national interest of the United States, which we, coincidentally, believe is also in the interest of Israel and the whole world. And so there are separate issues. If the Netanyahu government decides to take a course of action different than the one being pursued now, that is their sovereign right... That is not our choice.
GS: But just to be clear here, if the Israelis decide Iran is an existential threat [and] they have to take out the nuclear program, militarily the United States will not stand in the way? Biden: Look, we cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do... if they make a determination that they're existentially threatened and their survival is threatened by another country.
GS: You say we can't dictate - but we can, if we choose to, deny over-flight rights here in Iraq. We can stand in the way of a military strike.
Biden: I'm not going to speculate, George, on those issues, other than to say Israel has a right to determine what's in its interests; and we have a right and we will determine what's in our interests.
BIDEN HAS been known to commit the occasional faux pas. But the Israeli consensus is that he was sending a message from President Barack Obama. Is live television the best way for two allies to communicate on a matter of such import? Yes - if the goal was to instantly "reward" Binyamin Netanyahu for uttering the magic words "two states for two peoples" at Sunday's cabinet meeting.
Or could Biden have been signaling the Iranians that Washington would unleash the Israeli military if the mullahs continue to drag their heels on engagement? Unlikely.
After Biden's remarks, however, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, implied he doesn't think an Israeli bombing is preferable to an Iranian bomb.
ISRAELIS FEEL little appreciation for Biden's signal. Not to sound churlish, but we don't really need his confirmation that we are a sovereign country. Moreover, president George W. Bush's April 2004 letter to Ariel Sharon - the one Obama studiously ignores - already supported Israel's right "to deter and defend itself, by itself, against any threat."
So rather than subcontracting the safeguarding of American, Western and Arab interests in keeping the bomb out of Iran's clutches - and being left to eventually face down Iran on our own - what Israelis would prefer is concerted US leadership now.
The administration remains committed to reaching out to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Fearing it would upset the mullahs, however, Obama's has been reluctant to adequately prepare for the likely possibility that the Iranians will not even discuss their nuclear program, or will use any talks to stall for time.
The Europeans - even as they conduct billions of dollars' worth of trade with Iran - are belatedly turning to Washington for leadership on genuinely meaningful sanctions, the kind that would get Khamenei's undivided attention, should engagement fail.
Though even its most hardcore Western apologists have stopped making excuses for the Iranian regime, the Obama administration appears hesitant to see it for what it is.
Obama will have an opportunity to prove our assessment wrong later this week, at the G-8.
The only evil recognized by this administration as evil are America-loving conservatives.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
..................
Obama will have an opportunity to prove our assessment wrong later this week, at the G-8.
Given there are reports Obama will oppose tougher sanctions, I wouldn't count on it. From Haaretz earlier this month.......
However, diplomatic sources in New York reported that American officials are working behind the scenes to prevent new sanctions from being imposed against Iran.
U.S. officials claimed that a tough stance toward Iran could backfire, bringing about an opposite outcome to that desired by those who support such measures.
Biden, for all his gaffe-prone goofiness, I think has his heart in the right place in some areas, to include the right of Israel to defend itself. Yes, Biden’s an arrogant blowhard, but I don’t think he has the evil in him that 0bama does.
Biden, for all his gaffe-prone goofiness, I think has his heart in the right place in some areas, to include the right of Israel to defend itself. Yes, Biden’s an arrogant blowhard, but I don’t think he has the evil in him that 0bama does.
*********
I think you are right. It seems like he has been trying to warn America all along.
Maybe he’s not the brightest light bulb in the closet, but I don’t think he’s out to destroy our country and exalt himself like Obama.
Sobriety in Iraq is working wonders on Uncle Joe!
I have family in DE; Fiscal Conservative Mods. They would have me believe the same thing.
For all his arrogance and narcissiscm, that Biden is an “okay guy” that you could break bread with and disagree with ideologically.
While this may be true, I have a less than benign view of what he and the executive branch ~ and, for that matter, the soon to be liberal judicial branch ~ are doing to this country; they are breaking it, attempting to sweep out the values which have made this country the greatest nation in history; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I think that if Obama-Biden are left unchecked they will leave this country open to attack by its enemies in Russia, China and the Middle-East, they will break us financially and may create a schism by which the Republic may be split.
Joe Biden is not a benign blowhard. I’m afraid his heart is NOT in the right place. He is not “okay” or affable, or goofy. He is all about power and access to it, maybe not seeming as ruthless as some ~ Obama, Emanuel, Pelosi, Frank and Reid ~ he is just as bad as them because he enables them.
“Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, implied he doesn’t think an Israeli bombing is preferable to an Iranian bomb.”
Oh, really?
hey Biden is missing his chance to shine....
I still maintain Biden misspoke (again!). What he really meant to say was the Obamanazi administration would not stand in the way if Israel decided to use military force against Honduras.
In reality, D’bama has a priority of concerns and Iran is far from the top. Changing this country into a socialist state consumes 110% of his available time so Iran is simply something that’s given lip service.
Zero is like Klinton. He wants to enjoy the perks and power of the presidency, but he doesn’t want to deal with the tough issues.
Between a rock and a hard place.....
Hmmm. How do you thread through that?
Armed with a bunker buster, of course.
OK. Fly down the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, across the north edge of the Arabian Sea, turn northwest over the Gulf of Oman, and storm front the south. It would be a one-way trip for the aircraft and its pilot, high-risk, low probability of success.
Or they could simply overfly Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Never have to get near Iraq, and US-controlled airspace. A simple dogleg, and they are over Iran. The Saudis may be persuaded that this is in their best interests, as the attack is directed to a national and religious entity that is antithetical to the ruggedly fundamentalist Sunni version of Islam. The Farsi Shi’ites believe they are smarter and and have a truer version of the intent of Islam.
The Iranians are also close to producing atomic weaponry. This presses on the mind of every other head of government in the Middle East.
“Hesitant” is putting it mildly....
Even considering a Biden remark is ridiculous. He is a nothing.
The Brown Clown will repudiate any thing Biden says if felt necessary.
No world leader will take a Biden comment as gospel
I think Biden was signalling that Obama is a loon and that Biden is to the right of The One. Biden’s so far to the right of Obama that he’s feeling like a Republican these days. heh
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.