Merkel Plays Hard
| Fri Jun. 26, 2009 8:25 AM PDT
Kevin has hit the road for a few days. He'll be back on Tuesday. I'm sitting in his cyber-chair until then.
After President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had a sit-down at the White House this morning, the two held a joint press conference at the White House. There were a few questions about Iran, and Merkel talked tough on the subject without causing ruptures. She declared, "we will not forget" what has happened to participants in the Iranian oppoosition who have been suppressed, beaten, and killed. "We will do everything to identify the exact number of victims," she said, and who they were. "Iran cannot count on the world community turning a blind eye," she said. Merkel noted that it's "so important" for dissidents "to know that people somewhere else in the world" are watching what they are doing. By speaking in such terms, she went--for good or bad--further than Obama, who did again condemn the Iranian crackdown on the opposition. Merkel referred to concrete steps that can be taken, at least in retrospect. And I wonder if Obama will feel compelled at some point to do likewise. Then again, that will probably depend on what happens with the opposition in Iran. If things quiet down, such pressure will ease.
At the same time, Merkel said, she "completely agreed" with Obama that the United States and Germany had to work with Russia and China to find productive ways of engaging with Iran regarding the Iranian nuclear program.
Now, Germany ain't the United States, and it certainly doesn't have the same bad history with Iran. Merkel has far more latitude to express outrage and to propose responses. Obama is probably still getting the balance right. Sometimes it just doesn't look pretty.
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Comments
Iran cannot count on the
Submitted by tpx on Fri Jun. 26, 2009 9:06 AM PDT.
Iran cannot count on the world community turning a blind eye, but Israel can.
Upstaged by Merkel and
Submitted by MacGruber on Fri Jun. 26, 2009 10:12 AM PDT.
Upstaged by Merkel and Sarkozy. Good work, Obama.
Sorry, but Obama's handing of Iran has been abysmal.
He invites Iranian diplomats to July 4th parties at U.S. Embassies. Not one Iranian diplomat accepted. So Obama recinds the invites. So much for "Hot Dog Diplomacy."
He refuses to take a hard line against the Iranian regime, saying it gives the regime an excuse to say the protestors are U.S. stooges. But Iran blames the U.S. anyway. At this point, why not join Merkel and Sarkozy?
Something is amiss. Maybe Obama doesn't care. Maybe he's too afraid. Or maybe he's got a side deal with the regime and doesn't want to ruin it.
My bet's on the latter.
Merkel is East German and
Submitted by ERH (not verified) on Fri Jun. 26, 2009 10:31 AM PDT.
Merkel is East German and old enough to remember the old regime. You can't be surprised by how she would react to the situation in Iran.
Good Cop bad Cop.
Submitted by BigTom (not verified) on Fri Jun. 26, 2009 11:09 AM PDT.
And because of our history, we have different roles to play in the game Few Americans remember what we did to them in 53, but every Iranian knows we knocked out their only functioning democracy, and gave them a quarter century of the Shah. Any excuse the Iranian government can get to tar the opposition as imperialist tools, has to be precluded -even if that means we will miss out on the satisfying chest thumping action.
Obama is playing this about as well as he can. If you aren't happy with the way he is playing it -it was the actions of Eisenhower that have tied his hands.
History is what it is.
Submitted by MarkH on Fri Jun. 26, 2009 12:13 PM PDT.
Ya play the cards you're dealt.
Many people think Mossadegh
Submitted by tpx on Fri Jun. 26, 2009 12:37 PM PDT.
Many people think Mossadegh was overthrown by the CIA to secure Iranian oil for American oil companies. However, the real reason the CIA ousted Iran's democratic regime is because Mossadegh was about to criticize America's treatment of Blacks and civil rights protesters in the South and impose an embargo on the US.
Merkel plays along
Submitted by Nathan (not verified) on Fri Jun. 26, 2009 1:45 PM PDT.
"Now, Germany ain't the United States, and it certainly doesn't have the same bad history with Iran."
That is the whole point. Obama's hands are tied because of the U.S.'s history with Iran. He is doing what he can to condemn the regime without getting in the middle of it. That is all he can do. Publicly.
Behind the scenes, he can do things that ensure dissidents connections to the outside world remain open (a la Twitter). He can put pressure on our allies, perhaps encourage is a better word, to come out more strongly against the regime and impose consequences. He can work the U.N. to try to get an international response.
Notice that Merkel "completely agreed" with Obama. She's not trying to drag the U.S. along. She's taking the baton and going further than the U.S. can.
There has been a lot of attention to Obama's public position, but I haven't seen anything about what is going on behind the scenes at State and elsewhere in the administration, except for the coordinated leak regarding Twitter. Perhaps it is best that way, as it is supposed to be behind the scenes. But I very much doubt they are twiddling their thumbs.
P.S. I can't believe you don't allow or tags. WTH?
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