Monday, March 5, 2012

Barack Obama tells Israel conference: 'too much loose talk of war'

In address to Aipac, president says world has responsibility to discourage Tehran from pursuing nuclear weapon

in Washington
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 4 March 2012

Barack Obama has admonished Israel for "too much loose talk of war" with Iran and said the world has a responsibility to give sanctions an opportunity to discourage Tehran from pursuing a nuclear weapon.

Speaking before a meeting on Monday with the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, Obama sought to head off pressure for him to commit to military action against Tehran if it crosses specified "red lines" in its nuclear programme.

The president told a sceptical audience at the annual conference of America's most influential pro-Israel lobby group that he accepts a "basic truth" that no Israeli government can tolerate Iran developing a nuclear weapon, and that he therefore understands the "profound historical obligation" weighing on the shoulders of Israel's leaders.

Obama said explicitly that he is prepared to use force against Iran to defend US interests if necessary, but he chastised those who appear to be in a hurry for war in comments apparently aimed at Israeli officials who have been making belligerent noises.

"I would ask that we all remember the weightiness of these issues; the stakes involved for Israel, for America, and for the world. Already, there is too much loose talk of war," he told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac). "Over the last few weeks, such talk has only benefited the Iranian government, by driving up the price of oil, which they depend upon to fund their nuclear programme. For the sake of Israel's security, America's security, and the peace and security of the world, now is not the time for bluster; now is the time to let our increased pressure sink in, and to sustain the broad international coalition that we have built.

Posted by SuzyQ at 12:05 AM

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