- 6 November 2008
-
- 2 Comments
-
-
-
- Diplomacy, Election 2008, Legislative Agenda, Presidential 2008 Elections, US-Iran War
Israel, Iran and Obama: the region reacts to U.S. election
6 November 2008 Posted By Ali Hosseini
The Iranian reaction to the election of Barack Obama as the next President of the United States seems to be overall positive so far, with MP’s such as Hamid Reza Haji Babai welcoming the victory “as an opportunity and test, with Iran now waiting for that change”. Government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, and President Ahmadinejad similarly echoed a hope for change in the direction of U.S. foreign policy. While Elham stated that “Iran hopes Obama changes America’s international image and avoids invading foreign countries.” Mottaki argued that “the election of Barack Obama… is a clear sign of the American people’s wish and desire for fundamental changes in America’s domestic and foreign policies.” Ahmadinejad issued a brief congratulatory note to Obama on his website; the first time an Iranian President has extended such a congratulatory letter to an American President in thirty years.
The reaction from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni was however more reserved. Ali Aghamohammadi, a close aide to Khamenei, said in a Reuters interview that a “change of political figures is not important by itself. What is more important is a change of American policy.” Simultaneously, the Iranian Armed Forces (which is under the Executive Command of the Supreme Leader) issued a stark warning to U.S. forces in Iraq that Tehran “would respond to any violation of Iranian airspace, a message analysts said seemed directed at the new U.S. president-elect more than neighboring American troops”
Meanwhile, Tel Aviv expressed nervousness about Obama’s plans for the Middle East. Having sent several “high-level messages to Washington in which it expressed its objections to the [Bush Administration’s] proposal to open an interests sections [in Tehran],” Israeli Foreign Minister (and Prime Minister candidate) Tzipi Livni said Thursday that “Obama shouldn’t talk to Iran just yet, warning that such dialogue could project weakness.” One should perhaps view Obama’s nomination of Rahm Emanuel – a high-ranking Democrat that flew to Israel to volunteer with the Israeli army in 1991 – as his Chief of Staff, as a maneuver aimed at calming Tel Aviv..
2 Responses to “Israel, Iran and Obama: the region reacts to U.S. election”
These statements from Iran at the first show Iran’s goodwill. It’s now up to Obama to make the fundamental changes, that would be reversing decades of humiliation and insults toward Iranian nation, he had continuously talked about. And he should not see negotiations as if it even might fail at the first onset. If his advisers for the Middle East’s affairs are people like Dennis Ross, the prospect of Obama’s negotiations is not that promising.
It’s time for Obama to “change” Iran-the U.S’s relation from enmity one to rivalry. And Iran has the capacity to go along that path like what it did with Saudi Arabia. We are neither close friend of Saudis nor their arch foe. This is the minimum “changes” Obama can bring into the relation with Iran, if in case he is not willing, or unable to do so, to go beyond. The fact that Livni openly advises the U.S not to talk to Iran shows Israel’s empty hand and sense of insecurity as a result of its lack of strategic depth (well, why a nation with that size, population, controversial short history… should compete with a great nation like Iran? Why that competitive?!). If it continues to go this path, Iran will be in a better position to drop the ball in any stalemate on others’ court! These are the kind of inherent leverages that Iran has given it’s geostrategic location, size, history and many more. The U.S has to accept these realities instead of looking for an excuse to ignore them. It’s in the U.S’ vital interests in the region.
Lets Give Our New President Elect a Chance.
Most people who voted for Obama had no idea who he was or what he was. I guess the media did a good job selling him. McCain, although he is a good man, wasn’t picked by republicans to run. He was picked by Democrat crossover voters in states who allow non party members to vote under any ticket they want. After they did that they went back to their Democrat home. McCain is no conservative. He doesn’t seem to realize that when a republican walks across the aisle to work with Democrats they break your leg. If you reach across the aisle they break your arm. Their idea of bi-partisanship is simple. You give up your principals and do what we want. Coming together to them means that you compromise your ideas and accept theirs.
The biggest danger, even if Republicans regain control of congress in two years, will be all the judicial appointments that will be made in that time. I only hope that they will be unable to stack the supreme court with liberal appointments. FDR had 20 years to stack the court and it took a lifetime to turn it around.
Of course we must not be too cruel to our new president. We should not call him a liar.
We should not call him a liar when he said he wanted to bankrupt the coal industry.
We should not call him a liar when he said utility bills would skyrocket because of the coal industry being regulated and taxed to death.
We should not call him a liar when he said he wanted to redistribute the wealth.
We should not call him a liar when he said he wanted to replace the military with a civillian force.
We should not call him a liar when he said he wanted to meet with Iran without preconditions.
We should not call him a liar when he said he wanted to invade Pakistan.
We should not call Biden a liar when he said that supreme court appointments should be made based more on the nominees philosophical views than on their judicial temperment. Can you say litmus test?
Hold onto your money belt we are in for a five ticket ride.
I could go on and on but I think you get the point.