NObama
When President Obama reiterates his country's "undying" support for Israel, I get nervous. What is he guilty about, what is he covering up that he has to be so reassuring? Why is he trying to calm our fears, what is he up to? Apart from the already routine pressure on PM Netanyahu to make concessions to PA Chairman Mahmud Abbas, so that indirect talks can restart, we now have the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Conference currently ongoing at the UN in NYC.
Obama called this conference as a follow-up to his signing the START accord with Pres. Medvedev of Russia. This treaty agreed that both sides will reduce their nuclear arsenals by 30%. But, since nuclear proliferation is the main cause of concern in the world, notably North Korea and Iran, Obama had to address this issue too. Since he has not been able to come up with sanctions on Iran in 18 months of talking about it, maybe he thought he could bring pressure on Iran by isolating them in the international community. As Secty of State Clinton said when addressing the Conference, Iran is the only country that is represented there that has signed the NPT and is currently in violation of it's provisions.
However, Israel is among a small group of nations (including India and Pakistan) that has refused to sign the NPT, preferring to have its possession of nuclear weapons undeclared and cloaked in ambiguity. There is a move at the NPT Conference by Arab/Muslim nations, including Egypt, to use it as a forum in which to attack and indict Israel for having nuclear weapons. The US managed to persuade them not to emphasize this. But, what price is he exacting from Israel for this maneuver? In order to isolate Iran in the Middle East it is rumored that Obama would cooperate with the Arab countries in declaring the ME a nuclear-free zone based on a 1995 Security Council resolution. This would undoubtedly bring pressure on Iran, not that it would care because it considers the "moderate" Sunni Arab countries its enemies anyway. But, it would also bring pressure on Israel, either to declare its nuclear arsenal and/or sign the NPT. This would undoubtedly be a great loss for Israel, since its policy of ambiguity has to a large extent both threatened the Arab States while at the same time avoiding a nuclear arms race in the ME. However, it is Iran which should be the target of this nuclear non-proliferation initiative, not Israel. Why is it that whenever Obama initiates such a policy I get a bad feeling?
Obama called this conference as a follow-up to his signing the START accord with Pres. Medvedev of Russia. This treaty agreed that both sides will reduce their nuclear arsenals by 30%. But, since nuclear proliferation is the main cause of concern in the world, notably North Korea and Iran, Obama had to address this issue too. Since he has not been able to come up with sanctions on Iran in 18 months of talking about it, maybe he thought he could bring pressure on Iran by isolating them in the international community. As Secty of State Clinton said when addressing the Conference, Iran is the only country that is represented there that has signed the NPT and is currently in violation of it's provisions.
However, Israel is among a small group of nations (including India and Pakistan) that has refused to sign the NPT, preferring to have its possession of nuclear weapons undeclared and cloaked in ambiguity. There is a move at the NPT Conference by Arab/Muslim nations, including Egypt, to use it as a forum in which to attack and indict Israel for having nuclear weapons. The US managed to persuade them not to emphasize this. But, what price is he exacting from Israel for this maneuver? In order to isolate Iran in the Middle East it is rumored that Obama would cooperate with the Arab countries in declaring the ME a nuclear-free zone based on a 1995 Security Council resolution. This would undoubtedly bring pressure on Iran, not that it would care because it considers the "moderate" Sunni Arab countries its enemies anyway. But, it would also bring pressure on Israel, either to declare its nuclear arsenal and/or sign the NPT. This would undoubtedly be a great loss for Israel, since its policy of ambiguity has to a large extent both threatened the Arab States while at the same time avoiding a nuclear arms race in the ME. However, it is Iran which should be the target of this nuclear non-proliferation initiative, not Israel. Why is it that whenever Obama initiates such a policy I get a bad feeling?
posted by Jack Cohen at 8:00 AM
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