Moscow’s “No” Paints Obama and Clinton into a Corner on Iran

Commentary Magazine ^ | Oct. 13, 2009 | Jonathan Tobin

[Jbny]

What was the bottom line of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov? America’s punting on a request for sanctions on Iran, as the Washington Post reported (and Jennifer discussed)? Or was it instead a case of “Russia Resists U.S. on Iran Sanctions,” as the Associated Press reported? Of course, both amount to the same thing. Clinton’s statement that it wasn’t yet time for sanctions on Iran to pressure it to stop its nuclear program is merely an admission that the administration’s plan to gain international support for restraining Iran is dead in the water. Russia may not be entirely pleased with the notion of a nuclear Iran, but its main foreign-policy goal since Vladimir Putin took power has been to thwart the United States and inflate Russia’s importance on the world stage. Because Iran’s nukes threaten America’s allies in the region, such as Israel, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, and the destabilization of the Middle East undermines American interests, stopping Tehran does not interest Moscow... READ THE REST AT COMMENTARY.ORG

[Red Badger]

I guess they don’t believe in Hope & Change..................

[the_Watchman]

This cannot be! Why the AP was writing articles defending Obama’s apparently unilateral concession to not deploy defensive missile systems in Eastern Europe by contending that it would set the stage for cooperation from the Russians. Wasn’t Putin pleased with our acquiescence?