Iran crisis more pressing than Syria, Obama says
Iran crisis more pressing than Syria, Obama says | JPost | Israel News.
WASHINGTON — In an interview on Sunday, US President Barack Obama praised a deal with Russia that will rid Syria of its massive chemical weapons stockpile, but warned Iran’s leaders not to misinterpret his decision against using force to punish and deter the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
“They shouldn’t draw a lesson that, we haven’t struck [Syria], to think we won’t strike Iran,” Obama told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. “What they should draw from this lesson is that there is the potential of resolving these issues diplomatically.”
Obama said in the televised interview that the Iranian crisis challenges America’s national security interests more directly than do recent developments in Syria, even after the use of chemical weapons by Assad’s forces against civilians on August 21.
“I think what the Iranians understand is that the nuclear issue is a far larger issue for us than the chemical weapons issue – that the threat against Israel that a nuclear Iran poses is much closer to our core interests,” Obama said.
“That a nuclear arms race in the region is something that would be profoundly destabilizing.”
Obama said he has exchanged letters with new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani since his inauguration last month.
“My view is that if you have both a credible threat of force, combined with a rigorous diplomatic effort, that, in fact you can you can strike a deal,” Obama said.
The president’s comments came just a day after US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced a deal in Geneva that would require Syria to identify the whereabouts of its chemical weapons within one week, with destruction of its arsenal beginning in mid-2014.
Officials in the Obama administration admit that the logistics of the plan have not been worked out, and will prove “daunting” to execute, with over 1,000 tons of chemical arms scattered across the war-ravaged nation.
“We had CENTCOM do a quick paper for us before we left about sort of options for security. Broad parameters, nothing very complex,” said a senior State Department official. “Even in a regime-controlled area, we would need considerable security. OPCW would need considerable security for protection of the site, if nothing else.”
Assad has not publicly endorsed the deal, but his government ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention– which bans their production, proliferation and use– last week.
“What concerns us most is that our friends and enemies will take the same lessons from this agreement– they see it as an act of provocative weakness on America’s part,” Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham reacted in a statement. “We cannot imagine a worse signal to send to Iran as it continues its push for a nuclear weapon.”
Obama answered critics of his approach by asserting his interest in “getting the policy right,” as opposed to “style points” meant to demonstrate strength and resolve.
French President Francois Hollande said on Sunday that a vote in the UN Security Council on a resolution on Syria could be expected by the end of the coming week, but urged the US to maintain military pressure on the Assad regime to keep its commitments.
The US had agreed not to push for the pending UN resolution to include the threat of force if Syria does not comply with its provisions.
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WarSclerotic 
September 15, 2013 at 10:16 PM
One cannot keep the truth from breaking free to the world. And even a king without clothes cannot keep this obvious fact too long ”hidden”. So, even the White House cannot keep the truth behind its walls; lately, a terrible secret found its way out from the White House and now its in open for everyone to see and hear: there is no person in the White House that is really the President. Acting the president, yes. But, the real President? It wasn’t such a person there since 2008. In that year, a surrogate was presented to the people and they elected him, even twice(2012, too). That was an almost perfect surrogate, until that man had to deal with some foreign policy issues on which he has no idea. He showed himself in front of the tv cameras of the world, said something, than something else and…boom! suddenly the magic disappeared and all have seen the man without clothes. That’s all. And what a king without clothes is doing? He run back to his House. A white house, in this case.
September 15, 2013 at 11:26 PM
You hit the nail on the head and you touched on an idea that is going through my mind for a whie.
There are many theories trying to explain the decisions and actions of obavez and his administration.
But while sufficient in one area they are insufficient or contradictory in other areas.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the theory that explains it all: The obavez doctrine, leadersip by absence.
Really. It explains all the screw ups, the mess and the cluelessness of this administration.
“Mr. President, our embassy is being attacked.”
“General, i’ve got to raise money. Talk to Valerie.”
“Mr. President, the Norks are threatening to nuke us.”
“How dare you bothering me. I’m golfing. Talk to Hillary.”
“Mr. President, we’ve got to present this bill tomorrow.”
“It’s past 6 PM, my workday is over. This is your business anyway.”
“Mr. President, what shall I tell the Saudis?”
“You take care of that. Didn’t I make myself clear? Don’t bother me with such trivial things ever again. My job is only to take care of the most important affairs of state. I’ve got to party with JayZ.”
September 16, 2013 at 1:32 AM
Ditto
September 16, 2013 at 5:23 AM
Sir, “Those are my principles. If you don’t like them I have others.”
Groucho Marx.
September 16, 2013 at 4:48 AM
Obama’s so weak even his speach writers have influence over him.
September 15, 2013 at 10:18 PM
IS Obama a heavy drug user?
September 15, 2013 at 10:30 PM
No, he only has problems to keep himself focused on issues or people who are speaking to him(ADHD). That was obvious, for example, in that famous meeting with Netanyahu, when Bibi started to lectured him about the implications of Israel been returned to the ’67 borders. Obama’s body language for all that press conference has left no doubt about what issues are troubling the president. Even more that an year and a half ago, I saw this problems starting to surface. And I assume that I am not the only one who paid attention at his body language and the link to those issues. One can search the web for answers, too.
September 15, 2013 at 10:33 PM
I read he had drug issues when he was younger
September 15, 2013 at 10:38 PM
No, no. Categorically, no. But he didn’t attempt to a bunch of courses when he was a student, from the same reasons I talked above. His ADHD problem is well known in the White House. They have a problem there and they knew about it from the beginning.
September 16, 2013 at 4:46 AM
He smoked dope and snorted coke.
September 15, 2013 at 10:43 PM
It is incredible that Obama still thinks his words have any weight, after all the flip-flopping! One can just go back and compare what Churchill had been saying in the 1940s and the hope and inspiration the Brits and in fact the whole word got from his speeches. Obama’s words sound hollow and insincere and we in Israel can now only turn to our own leadership to save us and everyone else from the Iranian nuclear threat.
Why Israelis See Shi’ite Axis as a Greater Threat Than Syrian Jihad
http://www.madisdead.blogspot.co.il/2013/09/why-israelis-see-shiite-axis-as-greater.html
September 15, 2013 at 11:02 PM
The Shiites are the principal danger for the Israeli state, because they are backed up by Iran, a powerful and large state, which now has also nuclear infrastructure. These words are self explanatory.
The Sunni Jihadists are not an Israeli concern right now, but they will be, in the long run. By then, Europa will taste from the Al Qaeda tasty menu ( the arsons in Spain and Portugal are islamists) and in America the vigilantes will search the streets for terrorists.
”He who is not willing to search for terrorists in their own homes, will find the terrorists in its own home” (by Luis).
September 15, 2013 at 10:51 PM
…And one can read this : ”July 23, 2010
Does Barack Obama Have a Learning Disability?”
on the American Thinker website, by Michael Applebaum, MD
, where all the issues we talked about previously are being addressed by a specialist in the field. So, you see, its not easy to talk about a king without clothes. Its even more difficult to look in his direction.
September 16, 2013 at 1:37 AM
Israel could have removed Obama from office in 2012 and also removed the Iranian nuclear threat by striking irans nuclear facilities in sept of 2012 the Iranians would have struck back at Israel and the us. Obama would have to respond. two months before the elections Obama would be in a war and the liberals in this country would be protesting and voted him out. why do you think he was so afraid of Israel launching a strike?
September 16, 2013 at 4:53 AM
Good point Tom. Obama just reminded everyone that all options are still on the table regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Problem is, Obama’s table is missing a leg. 😉