Though relations between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be chilly , that doesn’t mean that the POTUS is bending to Israel’s enemies in the area. Obama told the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday that the United States will “do what we must” to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
President Obama seems like he’s playing the situation in the Middle East his way , not Israel’s way, having refused Netanyahu’s request to set an explicit “red line” for Tehran, and not Iran’s way, saying that while he hopes for a diplomatic solution, “time is not unlimited.” It’s a touchy situation, but is President Obama sly or naive?
Whatever the case, the stern speech follows Monday’s report that Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in New York that Israel must be “eliminated” while once again saying that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear bomb. He was officially warned by the UN to avoid his usual offensive rhetoric, reports NBC News .
President Obama seems to be playing the “speak softly and carry a big stick” strategy. The question is, as it has always been, will he really use that stick?
On seeking a peaceful solution to the problem with Iran, President Obama said “that there is still time and space to do so.”
“But that time is not unlimited. We respect the right of nations to access peaceful nuclear power, but one of the purposes of the United Nations is to see that we harness that power for peace,” he said.
“Make no mistake: A nuclear-armed Iran is not a challenge that can be contained. It would threaten the elimination of Israel, the security of Gulf nations, and the stability of the global economy. It risks triggering a nuclear-arms race in the region, and the unraveling of the non-proliferation treaty,” said Obama.
“That’s why a coalition of countries is holding the Iranian government accountable. And that’s why the United States will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he added.
Do you think that Iran should be prevented from getting a nuclear weapon? Is that really what they’re after? Is President Obama handling the situation appropriately? Sound off!
