Posted on 06/16/2009 12:07:52 PM PDT by lewisglad
President Obama said Tuesday that it would be counterproductive for the United States “to be seen as meddling” in the disputed Iranian presidential election, dismissing criticism that he has failed to speak out forcefully enough against the growing unrest in Iran.
“I have deep concerns about the election,” Mr. Obama told reporters at the White House. “I think that the world has deep concerns about the election.”
But the president said any direct involvement by the United States would not be “productive, given the history of U.S.-Iranian relations.” He expressed optimism that the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had called for a review of the election, which on Monday resulted in the largest antigovernment demonstration since the 1979 revolution. Opposition protests continued Tuesday.
“I do believe that something has happened in Iran, where there is a questioning of the kinds of antagonistic postures toward the international community that have taken place in the past,” Mr. Obama said. “There are people who want to see greater openness and greater debate and want to see greater democracy.”
He added, “How that plays out over the next several days and several weeks – that is ultimately not something for the American people to decide.
The tempered response from the Obama administration drew criticism on Tuesday from Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, who said Mr. Obama had not spoken out strongly enough about the political dissent in Tehran.
“He should speak out that this is a corrupt, flawed sham of an election,” Mr. McCain said in an interview on NBC’s “Today.” “The Iranian people have been deprived of their rights. We support them in their struggle against a repressive, oppressive regime.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I don’t trust Obama on anything. And on the issue of Iran I fear that once he meddles his magic touch will turn everything into sh*t.
I was giving an example on what would be measures short of invasion.
Meddling, lying, and sticking his nose in the air is all that pathological, narcissistic, paranoid, delusional, racist FOOL knows how to do.
He's probably in constant contact with the Mullahs, taking notes for doing the same thing here. He was openly discussing having his own military while he was campaigning, and his brain dead followers never questioned why.
I don’t!
Exactly! BO has absolutely NO idea of what to say or do... North Korea and Iran are making a mockery of us and the whole world is watching. Everyone sees that he is a ZERO with no guts or muster.
The implications for our country are just not good to say the least. He is no more a president than my pet dog. But he is dangerous — incompetent and dangerous — what a mind boggling combination.
Bullhockey. This is part of the reason why they want Nutjob gone. Not necessairly love for Israel, but Iranians are war weary (there was that thing with Iraq, remember) and bat shit scared about the prospect of a nuclear showdown with Israel. They fear nutjob will drag them down into the abyss.
A new government by the people's will, will have to improve the economy, open the country and enact social freedoms. There won't be place for the warmongering which is isolating them.
Its a sad day when the president of France has more cajones than the president of the United States.
A Frenchman!
Ronald Reagan is rolling in his grave.
Mr. President you don’t need to remind the Iranians how pitiful your policy towards them is every day. They get it.
Øbama doesn’t have a clue what he is doing.
Don't be so obtuse. The clerics are still in charge, no matter who the puppet president might be.
Only if there is a foul deal between Mousavi and Khamenei.
If Mousavi wins through the protestors resilience, he won’t be necessairly a puppet anymore.
Khamenei could be toppled by an internal mullah putsch i.e. through Rafsanjani.
Again, if the protestors succed in dumping Ahmadinejad, his entourage of “12th imam hasteners”, which are the “nuke israel” crowd will be gone.
Iran won’t become Israels BFF, but there will be entirely different priorities even for the mullahs than israel.
They can’t have economic revival and international opening if they continue with their warmongering. Since these are the results the voters desire, the old ways won’t continue.
“He added, “How that plays out over the next several days and several weeks – that is ultimately not something for the American people to decide. “
Yes, we can only dictate to the free democracy in Israel.
Recall being told the war in Iraq would “pay for itself”? Neocons say the darnedest things...
Anyway, there is some seriously diseased thinking in hoping that democracy, even when free of corruption, will help to “transform” the middle-east or other trouble regions. Democracy is just a reflection of the values and whims of the voting population - take a good look at the values and whims of the unwashed masses in the middle east and someone honestly tell me that the results of an election will be good. If I said installing democracy within a prison or insane asylum would have a “transformative effect” on the inhabitants, I would rightly be ridiculed. But when the same is said of the middle-east, much chin-stroking, head-nodding, symposium-organizing, and government-planning occurs. Delusional, 100% delusional.
“They” are a nuisance to us because they can project power, they can project power because they have the wealth to do so, they have the wealth to do so because we buy oil from them, and we buy oil from them because there is no technological alternative to oil, and they have most of it (at least most of it for the right price). Democracy “solves” none of that. In Iran, we have one group of Islamic fundies rioting because another group of Islamic fundies won the election. Iwannajihad vs Iwannasmallahihad.
Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of decent people within Islamic nations, Iran especially. They are why I don’t advocate the glass parking lot approach. But minorities of the sane do not win elections against majorities of the insane. Wilsonianism is intellectually bankrupt and wholly inapplicable in the swaths of the world its proponents think it to be of the greatest utility.
Neutering AOPEC (via paradigm-shifting technological innovation) would hinder their ability project power. But corrupting their culture (via indirect media and other corporate channels) is basically our only shot at truly civilizing their Neanderthal majorities, short of British-style imperialism (no thanks - wars are expensive enough).
I want a real president; not this puppet.
He sounds like he’s saddened, deeply saddened.
Just like Carter.
Obama: it’s up to Iran to determine own leaders
AP | 6/15/2009
Posted on 06/15/2009 3:37:48 PM PDT by james500
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2272412/posts
Kristol, Compatriots Push Obama to Condemn Iran
(Zero Unsure, Looking For His Teleprompter)
Salon War Room | Tuesday, June 16, 2009 12:01 EDT
Posted on 06/16/2009 11:43:11 AM PDT by lewisglad
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272931/posts
McCain Calls Iranian Election “Rigged”
Washington Times | June 16, 2009
Posted on 06/16/2009 9:33:34 AM PDT by meandog
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2272787/posts
Sarkozy denounces Iran vote ‘fraud’
IC Puplications | June 16, 2009
Posted on 06/16/2009 11:51:35 AM PDT by Kaslin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2272945/posts
Sarkozy denounces Iran vote ‘fraud’
Africasia | 6/16/09 | staff
Posted on 06/16/2009 11:57:32 AM PDT by pissant
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2272950/posts
Sarkozy denounces Iran vote ‘fraud’
Africasia | 6/16/09 | staff
Posted on 06/16/2009 11:57:32 AM PDT by pissant
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2272950/posts
Excellent summary of the issue, without a lot of big edumacational ivy league words!
Praise to you.
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