Nuclear standoff: Obama assures Israel lobby to use force, if necessary

Calls for more time to allow international sanctions to work.


Afp March 04, 2012

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama criticised ‘loose talk of war’ on Sunday as he pleaded for patience in ending the nuclear stand-off with Iran, arguing that sustained international pressure would force Tehran to the negotiating table.

On the eve of White House talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Obama sought to reassure a powerful pro-Israel lobby by vowing to use force if necessary.

Speaking to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Washington alongside Israeli President Shimon Peres, he said sanctions were working and cautioned against the saber-rattling of recent months.

“Because of our efforts, Iran is under greater pressure than ever before,” he told thousands of delegates at the AIPAC annual policy forum. “Iran is isolated, its leadership divided and under pressure,” he said.

The uprisings in Arab countries have exposed the Iranian regime’s ‘hypocrisy’ and left its ally Syria ‘crumbling,’ the president added. “I firmly believe that an opportunity remains for diplomacy ” Obama said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2012.

COMMENTS (9)

Ahmer Ali | 12 years ago | Reply

What the shameful,awesome and inglorious time has come on the Islamic world that if any Islamic country wants to get nuclear technology even for peaceful and energy purposes unfortunately and unluckily the Western countries and USA and IAEA see it in negative sense and purpose and if any Western country gets and makes hundreds of the most dangerous and mass destruction nuclear and chemical weapons it is considered for the peace and security for that country.This is all happening with the Islamic world only due to the disunity amongst the Islamic counties and the muslims of the world that non-muslims powers want to make the Islamic world and the muslims only their subservient.

j. von hettlingen | 12 years ago | Reply

Obama admitted that according to the intelligence he has gathered from the U.S. and Israel, it isn't clear that Iran has made a final decision on building nuclear weapons. He should stand his ground and don't let Netanyahu dictate the U.S. foreign policy. The two hawks and hotheads Ehud Barak and Netanyahu have hijacked Iran's nuclear program for terrorising the world with their talk of war.

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