Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Some find it hard to deviate from preconceived plans or improvise from core values and beliefs

****Of course, having "core" beliefs isn't great if the beliefs aren't great or are fundamentally flawed.****
http://tinyurl.com/nvbdkc
Hillary Urged Obama to Talk Tough on Iran, Surprised When He did By: Nicholas Kralev, The Washington Times
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged President Obama for two days to toughen his language on Iran before he did so, and then was surprised when he condemned Iran's crackdown on demonstrators last week, administration officials say.
...Obama said he was "appalled and outraged" by Iranian behavior and "strongly condemned" the violence against anti-government demonstrators. Up until then...a softer line, expressing "deep concern" ...(anonymous sources)...said Mrs. Clinton had been advocating the stronger U.S. response, but the president resisted. When he finally took her advice,...he did so without informing her first....first known example of awkwardness between the two ...The disagreement also gave some insight into the Obama administration's foreign policy decision-making process...Mrs. Clinton did not know ...Obama apparently did not make the final decision to go ahead with the tougher stance until shortly before his remarks....Key congressional Republicans... criticized the president for being too "timid" and failing to speak out early...Obama initially said he did not want to appear to be interfering in Iran's internal affairs and provide ammunition to the regime,..."On the one hand, he may have felt that the United States should naturally criticize the Iranian government's violent crackdown on the protesters,"..."On the other, he acknowledged that the U.S. was still willing to engage with Iran in the future. Strong U.S. criticism of the Iranian government could jeopardize future negotiations." ****If you intend to kiss the ass of the devil, best not to make approaches difficult.****
...Clinton agreed with the president, but she thought it was time to get tougher after the June 20 killing of a young woman, Neda Agha-Soltan,...****Sounds like a PR decision, not one based on principle.****...she was content to leave the decision to Mr. Obama, because she understood that he bore ultimate responsibility for any consequences.****Hardly a choice.****...had the effect of making the State Department look out of sync with the White House....the State Department continued to follow a more cautious public line, using words like "deeply concerned" about the situation in Iran, but refusing to "condemn" the crackdown. Then came Mr. Obama's surprise....In general, the officials said, Mr. Obama has relied on the government bureaucracy to formulate language on foreign affairs.****Wonderful leadership.****...everything he said was a "result of a long process involving meetings and briefing papers,"...with North Korea,..."we have a formalized mechanism in the six-party [nuclear] talks and more moving pieces." ****That process has produced ...nada.**** Analysts said the Iran episode shows Mr. Obama's nuanced thinking and in-depth analysis of foreign policy, although some warned that he risks being too cautious and appearing indecisive.****Which of these two explanations seems more plausible? Does flip-flopping count as "indecisive?" ****"The demonstrators in Iran have revealed the extreme caution of Obama's approach to the world, as if he is afraid of making a mistake, and his dislike of disruptions to an agenda he has already laid out," ..."The caution that we should not meddle was shown to be pointless after the Iranian leadership blamed the protests on America and Britain anyway."...Obama is trying to avoid such confusion by laying out specifically what he wants," ...****Too bad he eith..."the secretary of state usually doesn't have the last say,...
© 2009

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