Many moons ago Barack Obama confronted a warmongering President, George W Bush, saying he would be willing to sit down and talk to the Iranian leaders.
Well, we’re still waiting. So good on
the presidents of Turkey and Brazil
for going to Tehran and signing a ‘confidence building’ deal for Iran to ship enriched uranium to Turkey.
So what was Barack Obama’s response? To congratulate Recep Erdogan and Lula da Silva for moving towards a resolution of the nuclear standoff? No it was the very opposite. To hurry up a plan to impose new sanctions on Iran.
It is all so reminiscent of early 2003, when Bush and Blair were determined to go to war with Iraq and did everything possible to derail a peaceful solution.
Not that Mr Obama is going to war with Iran tomorrow, but he has chosen the path of confrontation over reconciliation.
Now I am not a great fan of President Ahmadinejad. In fact I have joined demonstrations against him stealing the last election. But isn’t it interesting that on this issue Barack Obama and Iranian hardliners are united against the President Ahmadinejad’s deal with Turkey and Brazil, while the Iranian democrats support it.
Perhaps the US beef with Iran has less to do with its possible nuclear ambitions, or the repressive nature of its government, than stopping Iran becoming a strong independent player in the Middle East, sympathetic to the Palestinians. It’s the only explanation that makes much sense.