Biden: US will not stand in Israel's way on Iranian issue

[youngindian]

Jul 5, 2009 17:08 | Updated Jul 5, 2009 17:56


The US will not stand in Israel's way if Israel believes military action is needed to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat, Vice President Joe Biden said on Sunday, during an interview with ABC's 'This Week.'Biden opined that the US "cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do."

Speaking to interviewer George Stephanopolous during a three-day visit to Iraq, the US vice president said that Israel can determine for itself "what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else."

When questioned if Israel could make that decision "whether [the US] agrees or not," Biden answered in the affirmative, noting, "Any sovereign nation is entitled to do that."

He went on to say that the interests of the US are also the interests of Israel and "the whole world."

"If the Netanyahu government decides to take a course of action different than the one being pursued now, that is their sovereign right to do that. That is not our choice," he added.


When pushed to comment on whether or not the US would grant "over-fly rights … in Iraq," Biden responded, "I'm not going to speculate, George, on those issues, other than to say Israel has a right to determine what's in its interests, and we have a right and we will determine what's in our interests."

On the issue of recent North Korean test-fires, which have coincided with US Memorial Day commemorations and Fourth of July celebrations, Biden backed his country's current policy, saying, "We have succeeded in uniting the most important and critical countries to North Korea on a common path of further isolating North Korea."

He also spoke of US President Barack Obama's plan to withdraw US troops from Iraq, stressing that the main aim was to "leave behind a stable and secure country."

He reiterated that by 2011, all US troops will be out of Iraq, by which point Iraqis will be "fully capable of maintaining their own security."


Biden: US won't stand in Israel's way on Iran | Iran news | Jerusalem Post

 

[thakur_ritesh]

well, whatever happened to the famous speech of obama from the cairo university, doesnt come as a surprise, does it. that apart this is as a good as a yes for strikes on iran as far as the us is concerned and sooner or latter we will see the inevitable and this coming from biden's mouth the better. quite clearly the us is not going to be part of any such strikes or so it seems right now but there will be tactical support to israel. they were waiting for the results of the presidential elections to be declared in iran and they have been certainly not of the liking of the west, and now that the iranian opposition has more or less rest its case, its a matter of time before israel strikes and may be with these strikes one will also be able to see a change in the mullah brigade that heads iran of today. it will be a good riddance if it were to come to that for seriously no sane mind would want another dprk where all the world can do now is just some lip service. one can visualize the smiles on the face of most of the sheiks of me.

 

[Yusuf]

Yeah, this is a go ahead in no uncertain terms given by the US to the Israelis.

 

[I-G]

Yeah, this is a go ahead in no uncertain terms given by the US to the Israelis.

Israel cant attack Iran on its own without the backing of America .

 

[Vinod2070]

The Obama administration seems to be trying to reach out to Iran. So it doesn't seem that an attack is likely soon.

Only if that Ahmedjinad tries to outreach himself and plays a bigger fool than he has been doing.

 

[I-G]

The Obama administration seems to be trying to reach out to Iran. So it doesn't seem that an attack is likely soon.

Only if that Ahmedjinad tries to outreach himself and plays a bigger fool than he has been doing.

America wants Iran to stop enrichment which Iran will not stop . and this reaching out starts and ends on enrichment only .

Ahmadinejad is not playing fool and using NPT only as a shield for this enrichment .

 

[Vinod2070]

America wants Iran to stop enrichment which Iran will not stop . and this reaching out starts and ends on enrichment only .

Ahmadinejad is not playing fool and using NPT only as a shield for this enrichment .

Actually he could have gone about this without making noise and antagonizing USA. He wants to project the image of being a simple person who is not afraid of the Superpower. It is this image projection that compels him to make useless statements about the holocaust etc. and needlessly antagonize the powers. This also leads to Iran's isolation in the world.

The Iranians are smart people being led by a buffoon.

 

[I-G]

Iran ready to Israel attack on nuclear facilities

TOKYO (AP): Iran is ready to take ``real and decisive'' action if Israel attacks its nuclear facilities, a senior Iranian parliamentary official said Monday.

The remarks by Alaeddin Broujerdi, the head of Iran's parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, came after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden signaled that Washington would not try to prevent any such Israeli assault.

``Both the U.S. and Israel are aware of the consequence of an erroneous decision,'' Broujerdi told reporters at the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo.

``I believe our response will be real and decisive,'' Broujerdi said. He declined to elaborate.

Israel fears Iran is developing nuclear weapons to target the Jewish state. Iran denies it is pursuing an atomic arsenal, saying it only wants to produce nuclear power.

Israel's government has said it would prefer to see Iran's nuclear program stopped through diplomacy, but that it cannot rule out a military strike.

In an interview on ABC's ``This Week'' on Sunday, Biden was asked whether the U.S. would stand in the way if Israel _ viewing the prospect of an Iranian nuclear bomb as a threat to the existence of the Jewish state _ decided to launch a military attack.

``Look, we cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do,'' he said.

Broujerdi also defended a recent crackdown on protesters following Iran's presidential election.

Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has said the June 12 election, in which incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared winner, was illegitimate and marred with fraud. Riots and protests have followed, although Iran's restrictions on media coverage have made it difficult to confirm some reports.

Broujerdi said Iranian police had merely acted to restore order, and accused Mousavi of instigating the protests.

``There is no confusion. It is (now) a totally peaceful situation in Iran,'' he said. Broujerdi is visiting Japan as chairman of the Iran-Japan Parliamentary Friendship League.

The Guardian Council, Iran's top electoral oversight body, pronounced the election results valid last week. Ahmadinejad is set to be sworn in later this month for a second four-year term.

The Hindu News Update Service

 

[EnlightenedMonk]

I think US is using the Israel card to pressurise Iran to come back to the negotiating table... The US would not want to antagonise Iran directly and so they're releasing reports like this to pressurise Ahmedinajad back to the negotiation table...

What else can everybody else do except negotiations??? They can't attack, can they???

So, the fear of Israel might only be a leverage in this case...

Plus, the US also wants to possibly use Iran in the future for supplies into Afghanistan via the Zaranj-Delaram highway which we constructed given the unreliability of Pakistan as a transit route.

So, it doesn't make sense for the US to actually let Israel bomb the Iranians as it would upset the whole apple cart of US foreign policy in the region and also antagnoise other Arab states (irrespective of the Shia-Sunni divide) to join against Israel again...

So, bombing Iran is not in anybody's interest here... and it is only leverage to get them back to negotiate a settlement...

 

[I-G]

Actually he could have gone about this without making noise and antagonizing USA. He wants to project the image of being a simple person who is not afraid of the Superpower. It is this image projection that compels him to make useless statements about the holocaust etc. and needlessly antagonize the powers. This also leads to Iran's isolation in the world.

The Iranians are smart people being led by a buffoon.

Well there is war of words between Israel and Iran since 1993 and Its Israel only which has raised the Nuclear Issue and pass out wrong information , Assisting and arming PKK , funding Bahai's against State of Iran and so on .

Iran see israel its biggest rival in the region and Palestine was divided on the basis of holocaust and thts why Iran is attacking the base of Israeli establishment as Israel is attacking the base of Iranian Establishment which is revolution .

 

[deltacamelately]

Yeah, this is a go ahead in no uncertain terms given by the US to the Israelis.

Yusuf,

Question is how?

 

[Ratus Ratus]

Yeah, this is a go ahead in no uncertain terms given by the US to the Israelis.

Don't hold your breath on that approach.

note this little bit:

When pushed to comment on whether or not the US would grant "over-fly rights … in Iraq," Biden responded, "I'm not going to speculate, George, on those issues, other than to say Israel has a right to determine what's in its interests, and we have a right and we will determine what's in our interests."

Somewhere i read that the Saudis had "given" permission for the Israelis to use their airspace. But it will still be along flight with few options.

It is not at present in the US's interests to have any form of attack on Iran as that will solidify that country against both Israel and also the US because they are seen as one in the region.
Further any such raid has to be conclusive, ie total destruction, which I doubt will happen.

Such an attack may also change Russia's roles in this not to mention how China will react. They won't attack but provided aid may be a different issue.
Now also consider if an enrichment plant is bombed, how much radioactive materiel will be released?
Anyone what to take responsibility for that? I bet the US has no wish.

Just thoughts.

 

[Yusuf]

Yusuf,

Question is how?

Sir, air strike is the only option. What's interesting is that Biden was silent on the issue of granting over flight to Israel over Iraq. Does that mean he is open to it?
But another thought that cones to my mind is that it could be that it's part of the game to put pressure on Iran by letting it believe a strike is on it's way if it doesnt cooperate.

 

[EnlightenedMonk]

Sir, air strike is the only option. What's interesting is that Biden was silent on the issue of granting over flight to Israel over Iraq. Does that mean he is open to it?
But another thought that cones to my mind is that it could be that it's part of the game to put pressure on Iran by letting it believe a strike is on it's way if it doesnt cooperate.

As I'd mentioned in an earlier post of mine, only the second option seems plausible at this time...

America, I doubt is in a position to decide what the Iraqis should and should not allow. America has withdrawn from Baghdad just a week ago and will be on the way out in the next couple of years. But, the Iraqis have to live alongside the Iranians for years and militarily they're not at their strongest...

So, the Iraqis will definitely consider the long term implications because this could very easily be considered by the Iranians as an act of war against them and the Iraqis will also have to face some retaliation, if not in the immediate future, then after some time definitely...

Even if overflight rights are granted to the Israelis despite all of this, then they might just about have the legs to reach the site, bomb it and return... but, for the Israelis there is an inherent risk, because the SAM sites and other anti aircraft batteries will be much better with Iran today than they were with the Iraqis in the 80s... and, there is a significant amount at stake here...

 

[Yusuf]

Don't hold your breath on that approach.

note this little bit:


Somewhere i read that the Saudis had "given" permission for the Israelis to use their airspace. But it will still be along flight with few options.

It is not at present in the US's interests to have any form of attack on Iran as that will solidify that country against both Israel and also the US because they are seen as one in the region.
Further any such raid has to be conclusive, ie total destruction, which I doubt will happen.

Such an attack may also change Russia's roles in this not to mention how China will react. They won't attack but provided aid may be a different issue.
Now also consider if an enrichment plant is bombed, how much radioactive materiel will be released?
Anyone what to take responsibility for that? I bet the US has no wish.

Just thoughts.

Sir if the Israelis believe the Iranians are close to a working bomb, they will feel insecure. I'm sure they would want to strike before that happens. And when it comes to the question of their survival/national interest, israel waits for no one. It will not care about radiation, nor the Russians and the Chinese.

Also it may not completely destroy the nuclear program, but it would try to ensure that the Iranian nuke program is hit back by a couple of decades as they did with Iraq.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Biden maybe warning Israel that USA will not be supporting an Iranian attack? They can attack but would have to live with the consequences. USA is already squeezed out of that part of the world with PAKISTAN the only avenure which may change overnight.

 

[Ratus Ratus]

Sir if the Israelis believe the Iranians are close to a working bomb, they will feel insecure. I'm sure they would want to strike before that happens. And when it comes to the question of their survival/national interest, israel waits for no one. It will not care about radiation, nor the Russians and the Chinese.

Also it may not completely destroy the nuclear program, but it would try to ensure that the Iranian nuke program is hit back by a couple of decades as they did with Iraq.

Its not in the US's interests.
Negativity from the US toward Israel will be more than just negative if that clashes with US interests in the ME. No aid, no mil support.

Israel can go it alone and that will be a huge problem for Israel.
On the point of fall out from rectors etc, that will get a huge negative from the world as well. Israel just can not win.

Not going to happen. Media hype Again.

Re-read WAB on the concept.

 

[Yusuf]

So this poses a huge risk for Israel doesn't it. If America doesn't see it's interest in Israel attacking Iran and won't allow it, and Iran it's sworn enemy which has threatened to wipe it out of the face of earth acquires nuclear weapons. It's going to pose an existential threat to it? What does Israel do then?

It will be a point of no return. Sure israel has it's own nukes, but it's not deterrent for a crazy regime.

 

[EnlightenedMonk]

So this poses a huge risk for Israel doesn't it. If America doesn't see it's interest in Israel attacking Iran and won't allow it, and Iran it's sworn enemy which has threatened to wipe it out of the face of earth acquires nuclear weapons. It's going to pose an existential threat to it? What does Israel do then?

It will be a point of no return. Sure israel has it's own nukes, but it's not deterrent for a crazy regime.

With all due respect Yusuf, Iran is not a crazy regime... Ahmedinijad is just the hand-puppet of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah who actually calls the shots from behind... and he seems to be a rather stable and intelligent fellow who won't get carried away by such antics...

Ahmedinijad worries about the next election, the Supreme Leader worries about how Iran will be in the next decade or the next 50 odd years... so, inherently there may be a conflict of interest and Ahmedinijad can't do much about it, because if he disagrees and falls out of favour, he's finished as far as I can see...

Iran is doing this sabre-rattling only to get international attention I think and they may be quite far from a working nuclear bomb...

 

[Dark Sorrow]

ONGC Videsh and Reliance Petrochemicals own many oil wells in Iran. What would happen to them in case of war?