Maybe we should have a referendum instead.
"Obama warns Congress on Iran sanctions effort" by Josh Lederman, Associated Press January 17, 2015
WASHINGTON — President Obama came out swinging Friday against congressional attempts to slap fresh sanctions on Iran, warning such a move would probably destroy nuclear talks and increase prospects for a military showdown. Vowing to veto any sanctions that reach his desk, Obama pleaded, ‘‘Just hold your fire.’’
I'm with him on this one, but I wish he would do that in so many other places.
In an unusual move by a foreign leader, British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was personally calling American senators to say that new sanctions would drive a wedge through international unity.
Standing side by side with Cameron at the White House, Obama said world powers would be sympathetic to Iran and would blame the United States if Congress moved ahead with more sanctions while fragile negotiations are under way.
Okay, I think the vast majority of nations already do, they see the situation for what it is, the EUSraeli Empire is in full flower, and they know who is the bully of the planet.
At that point, Obama argued, the world would lose its best chance to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Yeah, and it's a good thing they aren't building one, either (of course, I never put a false flag past the USraelis to be thusly blamed on Iran, Russia, whoever).
‘‘Congress should be aware that if this diplomatic solution fails, then the risks and likelihood that this ends up being at some point a military confrontation [would be] heightened — and Congress will have to own that as well,’’ Obama said in his most impassioned rebuke yet of the sanctions effort.
Except you are the commander in chief! You don't have to order action of any kind. Iran isn't going to attack over renewed or expanded sanctions. They have been under one form or another for decades and never have.
I mean, I'm really having a problem making the connection -- unless he is trying to lay the groundwork for a future false flag to be blamed on Iran. I hope that isn't one of the interesting fourth-quarter surprises he was talking about.
The United States, Britain, and other world powers are struggling to reach a framework accord with Iran by March, with hopes of finalizing a longer-term deal by July that would limit Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon.
Secretary of State John Kerry has spent much of the week holed up in European hotels with his Iranian counterpart, foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, as both countries seek to infuse the talks with fresh urgency.
He can stay there if he likes.
But in Washington, many lawmakers are so skeptical of the negotiations that they have insisted the United States move ahead with additional sanctions to keep tightening the screws on Tehran.
That could be considered an act of war!
A tense exchange between Obama and a top Democrat this week illustrated the degree to which Obama’s diplomacy with Iran has rattled even members of his own party.
Shows you how deep is Zionist penetration of the AmeriKan government.
At a closed-door meeting with Senate Democrats, Obama and Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey traded arguments about whether fresh penalties would undermine or bolster the talks.
Menendez, who until recently chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been working across partisan lines with Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois, a Republican, on new sanctions on Iran’s economy.
Yup, on that they agree!!!
Btw, Menenedez is compromised by underage girls he was seeing in the Dominican Republic (do the research). He must be toeing the line, which is why that story went away.
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Cameron, who was holding two days of meetings with Obama, took the rare step of calling another nation’s lawmakers to lobby them against proceeding with more penalties.
That won't raise as much of a stink as some guy coming to speak.
GOP senators John McCain of Arizona and Bob Corker of Tennessee got calls from Cameron, who said he had reached out not to tell them what to do, but to convey that sanctions have already had their desired effect.
‘‘It’s the opinion of the United Kingdom that further sanctions or further threat of sanctions at this point won’t actually help to bring the talks to a successful conclusion, and they could fracture the international unity that there’s been which has been so valuable in presenting a united front to Iran,’’ Cameron said.
Clinching a nuclear deal would be a major foreign policy victory for Obama....
I think so, and I would love to see it! Maybe an apology for the CIA-initiated Operation Ajax coup of 1953, too!
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"Senator to push for Iran sanctions, or a say on any deal" Associated Press January 19, 2015
WASHINGTON — Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a leading Republican critic of President Obama’s foreign policy, said Sunday that he favors new sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program, unswayed by a White House veto threat.
Related: Foreign policy wins Obama could still pull off
A step back from Israel?
What has he been doing, talking to the Saudi king?
In an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Graham said he would be willing to set aside his efforts if Obama would submit any agreement with Tehran to Congress for lawmakers to approve.
For those not in the know, Graham's gayness is suspected as being a blackmail tool used by the Zionist lobby.
Remember when he used to be joined at the hip with John McCain and Joe Lieberman?
An Obama adviser scoffed at the idea as an infringement on presidential authority.
The new GOP-led Congress has picked an early foreign policy fight with the president, with the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee holding a hearing Tuesday on possible new penalties against Tehran.
The United States and its partners are trying to negotiate a framework agreement with Iran by March and hoping to complete a longer-term deal by July that would limit Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon.
Secretary of State John Kerry might hold further discussions this week with Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif.
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Related:
"Republicans hold only 54 seats, meaning they will need Democratic help on contentious measures."
And they will get it. Oh, yeah, it will be BOTH PARTIES IMPLICATED in ANOTHER WAR CRIMINAL EXERCISE if it comes to that. Just want it on record.
Also see:
Congress shouldn’t scuttle Iran nuclear talks with new sanctions
Globe always knows what to do:
Can the US-Iran rift be healed?
NOPE!
"Boehner invitation to Netanyahu defies Obama; Speaker says Israeli PM will address Congress" by Deb Riechmann, Associated Press January 22, 2015
WASHINGTON — Defying President Obama, House Speaker John Boehner announced Wednesday that he has invited Israel’s prime minister to stand before Congress and push for new sanctions against its archenemy Iran.
Some are calling it treason!
Boehner’s decision to bring Benjamin Netanyahu before a joint meeting of Congress on Feb. 11 seemed to catch the White House by surprise. And it added fuel to a drive by lawmakers from both parties to pass legislation calling for fresh penalties if there is no deal soon to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.
Barely sworn in, the new Republican-controlled Congress is already on a collision course with Obama over a major foreign policy issue. Obama has threatened to veto any new sanctions legislation, saying it could scuttle ongoing nuclear talks with Iran and heighten the risk of a military showdown.
They agree on the other wars, though.
Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Wednesday quoted an unidentified Israeli intelligence official as saying that adding sanctions now ‘‘would be like throwing a grenade into the process.’’
So EVEN the ZIONIST APPARATUS of ISRAEL is AGAINST THIS?
(Point of note: I've read on the blogs how this is basically the PTB in Israel cutting Netanyahu loose. He's become too much of an unstable liability)
But Boehner is not backing down. He told a private meeting of GOP lawmakers that Congress would proceed on further penalties against Iran despite Obama’s warning.
‘‘He expects us to stand idly by and do nothing while he cuts a bad deal with Iran,’’ Boehner said. ‘‘Two words: ‘Hell no!’ . . . We’re going to do no such thing.’’
The Democrats’ House leader, Nancy Pelosi of California, strongly disagreed. She said Obama has had diplomatic success in bringing countries together for the current economic sanctions aimed at stopping Iran’s nuclear program. And she said it would be irresponsible for Congress to impose new penalties that ‘‘could undermine the negotiations and undermine the diplomatic coalition that is there — the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.’’
The White House said Boehner’s invitation also was a breach of diplomatic protocol. Traditionally, no administration would learn about a foreign leader’s plan to visit the United States from the speaker of the House, said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
Said Boehner: ‘‘I don’t believe I am poking anyone in the eye.’’
The invitation was a coordinated effort involving Boehner and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell with staff discussions beginning last year, according to a senior Republican aide, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss the private talks. Boehner contacted the Israeli ambassador on Jan. 8 to assess Netanyahu’s interest and received a positive response.
Netanyahu stands to gain politically at home from the US visit.
That's not the way this is being reported in the alternative media.
He is in a tough fight to win reelection in Israel’s upcoming March vote. Netanyahu’s Likud party is running behind the main opposition group headed by Yitzhak Herzog’s Labor Party, which has been highlighting rancor in the country’s critical relationship with the United States.
This is all to bolster that scum's approval ratings with Israelis?
The image of Netanyahu addressing Congress — an infrequent honor for a world leader — could undercut his opposition’s message. At the same time, he risks aggravating the tense relationship he currently has with the Obama administration.
Time could be running out to reach a deal with Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful and exists only to produce energy for civilian use. Talks have been extended until July, with the goal of reaching a framework for a deal by the end of March.
Just after Boehner announced that Netanyahu had been invited, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a three-hour hearing on the Iranian nuclear talks and the role of Congress.
Republicans and some Democrats on the committee argued that Iran is playing for time and that the United States and its international partners are inching closer to Iran’s negotiating position. But other lawmakers agreed with the administration that it’s best to let the negotiations play out.
Committee chairman Senator Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee, is pressing for legislation that would allow Congress to vote on any deal the United States and its international partners might reach with Tehran.
Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the committee, and Senator Mark Kirk, Republican of Illinois, are pushing legislation that would impose heavier sanctions that would take effect if there’s no deal.
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"Obama, Netanyahu will avoid meeting; Israeli leader will address Congress" by David E. Sanger and Michael D. Shear, New York Times January 23, 2015
WASHINGTON — White House officials said Thursday that President Obama would not meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel when he comes here in March to speak to a joint session of Congress and to lobby for new sanctions on Iran that Obama opposes, the latest twist in a dispute that has marked a new low in relations between the two leaders and which now threatens the chances of a nuclear deal with Tehran. Whatever.
The aid checks and weaponry still flowing?
The White House statement came after Netanyahu, apparently sensing that he had committed a major diplomatic blunder, rescheduled a commitment he had made to speak to Congress on Feb. 11 without first coordinating his visit with the White House. He will now speak on March 3.
Before or after the Israeli vote?
Readers, that sure was not the narrative that was played above.
House Speaker John A. Boehner had extended the invitation to highlight Netanyahu’s support for the GOP effort to enact a new round of sanctions against Iran that Obama has said he will veto and to bolster the critique that the president’s approach to the Middle East has not been forceful enough.
Obama “has been clear about his opposition to Congress passing new legislation on Iran that could undermine our negotiations and divide the international community,” Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said after the White House said the president would not meet with Netanyahu on his visit because of a longstanding policy of not seeing foreign leaders too close to their national elections — a rule that is often ignored when critical issues are on the agenda.
How you liking the political imagery and illusion through the Zionist pri$m of a paper?
“The president has had many conversations with the prime minister on this matter,” she said, “and I am sure they will continue to be in contact.”
Yeah, no big deal -- as I thought. This is all show.
The current dispute over Iran is hardly new, but it has two new elements: the Republican takeover of the Senate, which changes the calculus for passage of new Iran sanctions, and Boehner’s desire to win allies in a confrontation with Obama over the president’s No. 1 foreign policy objective for the remainder of his term.
I thought it was defeating ISIS. Or countering China. Or rolling back Russia. Or expanding into Africa. Who knew?
Any final nuclear accord with Iran would require the United States to agree to repeal, over time, the sanctions that Congress has already imposed over the past decade for Iran’s nuclear program.
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So where did Bibi go wrong?
"Benjamin Netanyahu goes too far" by Michael A. Cohen January 23, 2015
This time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might have gone too far.
It’s bad enough that John Boehner invited him to address a joint session of Congress and lobby for more sanctions on Iran — and directly seek to undercut the president’s top diplomatic initiative. Far worse is that Netanyahu accepted the invitation; it was a demonstration of ingratitude and hubris rarely seen before in the annals of the US-Israel bilateral relationship.
In the process, Netanyahu has not simply blindsided the Obama administration, but, ironically, he may have directly undermined his own political fortunes.
Interesting spin given what was reported two days ago! Was gonna help his prospects.
This kind of behavior from Netanyahu is nothing new. Throughout Obama’s time in office, he has seemingly gone out of his way to stick his finger in the president’s eye.
So it was his, not Boehners.
It began with Israel’s refusal to abide by American demands for a settlement freeze, worsened in 2011 when Netanyahu delivered an infamous “history lesson” to Obama in the Oval Office in 2011 on the security challenges facing Israel. It hit a new low when he all but endorsed Obama’s 2012 GOP rival, Mitt Romney, and it hit rock bottom when he disparaged the 2013 nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran and tried to get Congress to kill it with new sanctions legislation. In between, Israeli officials have both publicly and privately disparaged the administration, particularly Secretary of State John Kerry.
Maybe he could get back in with the next administration?
Btw, I don't even like my government scum, but nothing makes me angrier than someone else dissing them!
Yet, through it all, Obama has steadfastly supported Israel with political, diplomatic, and military assistance. Just this month, the United States has worked tirelessly to blunt efforts to push a Security Council resolution endorsing Palestinian statehood as well as an investigation into Israeli practices in the occupied territories by the International Criminal Court. After Israeli jets killed an Iranian general in Syria, the United States undertook a diplomatic initiative to lower tensions.
Yeah, AmeriKa runs interference for Israeli war crimes all the time. That's why there really is nothing to all this arm-flailing propaganda.
Yet Netanyahu still stuck it to the White House this week. As the administration is working furiously to stop Congress from passing an Iran sanctions bill, Netanyahu’s move could not have been better calculated to undercut the administration.
But with national elections in March and Netanyahu’s Likud party trailing the suddenly revitalized Labor party in public opinion polls, the prime minister is seemingly happy to throw Obama and the White House under the bus if it means improving his image among Israeli voters.
Well, which is it, undermining or improving!?
That may turn out to be a major miscalculation. Netanyahu’s actions have the potential to boomerang against him both in the United States and in Israel.
First, you can pretty much put a fork in Iran sanctions legislation. With Republicans controlling Congress, the bill will likely be passed, but the possibility of a congressional override of an almost certain presidential veto seems remote.
Not as remote as he thinks.
Democrats were already wavering about the possibility of going against their president, but now that Netanyahu and Boehner have nakedly politicized the issue, it will give Democrats even more reason to stick with Obama.
Do you want to win your next election? Confront the Zionist lobby at your own peril.
For years, Israeli leaders — and their supporters in the United States — have gone to great lengths to make support for Israel a bipartisan issue. Yet Netanyahu has repeatedly sided with the GOP against Obama — so much so that he is often derisively referred to as the Republican senator from Israel. This latest action will only increase the partisan divide, and weaken Democratic support for Israel under Netanyahu’s leadership.
Like they have anything to worry about.
Netanyahu is apparently unbothered by this, because the short-term goal of winning the next Israeli election takes precedence. But even here he may have overreached. From all appearances, Israelis are increasingly concerned that the US-Israel bilateral relationship is in crisis — and they believe that Netanyahu is partly responsible. Undermining that relationship only weeks before a national election may have the perverse effect of reminding Israelis why another term for Netanyahu could be so dangerous for the country. Beyond that, Netanyahu has practically ensured that the next two years of Obama’s terms will be one of simmering hostility between the United States and Israel.
Yeah, right. The money will still flow and the US will veto at the U.N. when told.
In a larger sense, however, Netanyahu has put the ball in Obama’s court. In seven weeks, Israelis will go to the polls. If the United States wants to try and influence Israeli public opinion to heighten fears about maintaining the political status quo, Netanyahu has given the White House its own engraved invitation to do so.
I was told by my Globe here they don't like Obama in Israel.
After Netanyahu’s shameless actions this week, Obama would be wise to accept it.
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"US reporter is indicted, will face trial in Iran" by Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press January 15, 2015
TEHRAN — A Washington Post journalist detained in Iran for months has been indicted and will stand trial, Iran’s state news agency reported Wednesday, without elaborating on what charges he faced.
I'll bet I know: Operation Mockingbird
Aren't they all spies now?
The report by the IRNA news agency came the same day Secretary of State John F. Kerry met with Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, before talks with world powers resume on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
It was not clear if the two events were connected, though Zarif earlier said he hoped the case against reporter Jason Rezaian could be resolved.
‘‘We will have to wait for the judiciary to move forward, but we will try to provide all the humanitarian assistance that we could,’’ Zarif said. ‘‘We hoped that this issue could be resolved but unfortunately there are judicial issues involved.’’
Rezaian, the newspaper’s bureau chief in Tehran since 2012, was charged last month, but the bill of indictment clears the way for his trial.
The IRNA report said Rezaian, an Iranian-American with dual citizenship, will stand trial in Iran’s Revolutionary Court, which mostly hears cases involving security offenses.
The newspaper and Rezaian’s mother have repeatedly called for his release.
‘‘We still do not know what charges the Iranian authorities have brought against our correspondent Jason Rezaian, but we hope the referral of his case to a Revolutionary Court represents a step forward toward Jason’s prompt release,’’ said Martin Baron, executive editor of The Washington Post.
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