Thursday, February 23, 2012
U.S. warns Israel against Iran strike
From The Hindu
After years of relentlessly seeking to bring the weight of international pressure against Iran through sanctions, the United States and other Western powers appeared to be backing off from a hawkish view against that country as they cautioned Israel against launching a direct strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Speaking to CNN's Farid Zakaria over the weekend General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said such an air strike was “not prudent at this point” and “would be destabilising.” The General's comments came even as the public discourse against Iran has heated up in the West and the prospect of an Israeli airstrike has gained salience in certain policy circles.
His remarks also come in the wake of similar comments by British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who was quoted saying that the potential attack, which could reportedly involve as many 100 Israeli jets in a complex and dangerous operation, was “not a wise thing at this moment.” Both senior officials spoke even as representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in Tehran on Monday for further talks with Iran on its alleged nuclear activities.
General Dempsey also underscored the uncertainty surrounding the issue of Iran weaponising its nuclear assets, saying, “We also know... that the Iranian regime has not decided that they will embark on the effort to weaponise their nuclear capability.” He added, “On that basis I think it would be premature to exclusively decide that the time for a military option was upon us.”
While the General admitted that in the U.S. view “the Iranian regime is a rational actor,” he said that the Obama administration understood that Israel had national interests that were “unique to them,” and in particular they considered Iran to be “an existential threat in a way that we have not concluded that Iran is an existential threat.”
Commenting on Israel's strike capability against Iran General Dempsey said that it would only delay the production or the capability of Iran to achieve a nuclear weapons status, “probably for a couple of years.” Some of the targets in Iran were possibly entirely beyond Israel's reach he said.
After years of relentlessly seeking to bring the weight of international pressure against Iran through sanctions, the United States and other Western powers appeared to be backing off from a hawkish view against that country as they cautioned Israel against launching a direct strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Speaking to CNN's Farid Zakaria over the weekend General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said such an air strike was “not prudent at this point” and “would be destabilising.” The General's comments came even as the public discourse against Iran has heated up in the West and the prospect of an Israeli airstrike has gained salience in certain policy circles.
His remarks also come in the wake of similar comments by British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who was quoted saying that the potential attack, which could reportedly involve as many 100 Israeli jets in a complex and dangerous operation, was “not a wise thing at this moment.” Both senior officials spoke even as representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in Tehran on Monday for further talks with Iran on its alleged nuclear activities.
General Dempsey also underscored the uncertainty surrounding the issue of Iran weaponising its nuclear assets, saying, “We also know... that the Iranian regime has not decided that they will embark on the effort to weaponise their nuclear capability.” He added, “On that basis I think it would be premature to exclusively decide that the time for a military option was upon us.”
While the General admitted that in the U.S. view “the Iranian regime is a rational actor,” he said that the Obama administration understood that Israel had national interests that were “unique to them,” and in particular they considered Iran to be “an existential threat in a way that we have not concluded that Iran is an existential threat.”
Commenting on Israel's strike capability against Iran General Dempsey said that it would only delay the production or the capability of Iran to achieve a nuclear weapons status, “probably for a couple of years.” Some of the targets in Iran were possibly entirely beyond Israel's reach he said.
Labels: General Dempsey, International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran nuclear facilities, Iran strike, Israel, U.S.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
U.N. condemns Israeli attack on flotilla
From The Hindu
The United Nations Security Council has condemned “acts resulting in civilian deaths during Israeli operation against Gaza-bound aid convoy,” and called for an investigation, according to a U.N statement. The Council was briefed by a U.N. political official, who reportedly said “bloodshed would have been avoided if Israel had lifted unacceptable, counterproductive blockade”.
In a marked divergence to the more cautious response of the U.S., which called for further investigation to ascertain the facts, member-nations of the U.N., particularly those whose citizens were affected, expressed outright condemnation of the use of force by Israel.
However U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also stressed the need to have a full investigation, a call echoed by the Council which asked for a “prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards”.
A U.N. statement noted that at a meeting on Monday Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, had briefed the Council on the incident, reporting that Israeli naval forces had boarded a six-ship convoy heading towards Gaza. The stated purpose of the convoy was to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and break the Israeli blockade, he said, making clear the U.N. had “no independent information on what transpired”.
Mr. Fernandez-Taranco said Mr. Ban had stated earlier that he was “shocked” by the killings and injuries on the boats and had condemned the violence.
Among other nations, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoðlu said he was “distraught by the incident, which was a grave breach of international law and constituted banditry and piracy.” He said this amounted to an attack on the U.N. and its values.
“It is our responsibility to rectify this and prove that common sense and respect to international law prevails”.
However the U.N. also noted that Israel's representative had told the Council that though the flotilla was portrayed in the media as a humanitarian mission, it was “anything but.” The U.N. statement quoted the Israeli representative as saying if the flotilla was truly a humanitarian mission, then “the organisers of the mission would have accepted weeks ago Israel's offer to transfer the aid brought on the flotilla through the Israeli port of Ashdod and through the established Israeli procedures”.
He noted that the flotilla's organizers had not only rejected Israel's offer, but they had stated that their mission was not about delivering humanitarian supplies, but about breaking the Israeli siege on Gaza.
Additional statements of regret and in some cases condemnation were made by the representatives of the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Austria, Japan, Nigeria, United States, Russian Federation, Uganda, China, France, Gabon, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Lebanon.
Mark Lyall Grant of United Kingdom said his country deeply deplored the loss of life on Tuesday and was gravely concerned that Israeli actions should conclude in such a tragic loss.
The U.K. had been in contact with the Israeli government throughout the day and had advised it against such action, because of the risks involved, he reportedly said.
Brutal aggression: Malaysia
P. S. Suryanarayana reports from Singapore:
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on Tuesday led a chorus of anti-Israel sentiments in some East Asian countries, whose nationals were among the international volunteers targeted in Monday's Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
Protest rallies were held by pro-Palestinian groups in Kuala Lumpur and also in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Speaking in Kuala Lumpur, Mr. Najib denounced the Israeli action as an “inhumane, brutal aggression” against those “bringing humanitarian aid to beleaguered people of Gaza.”
Terrible events
An estimated 11 Malaysians were said to be among the volunteers. In Canberra, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, outlining the available data about the Australians “caught up in this matter,” called for “an easing of the blockade to enable aid and humanitarian assistance to be delivered to Gaza.” He said it might help prevent such terrible events.
Labels: Gaza flotilla attack, Israel, United Nations
Monday, March 22, 2010
Israel should address conflict: Hillary
From The Hindu
The United States' commitment to the security and future of Israel was “rock solid, unwavering, enduring and forever,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at a speech to AIPAC, an Israel lobby.
However, she cautioned Israel saying that today it was “confronting some of the toughest challenges in her history.” In particular, the conflict with the Palestinians and with Israel's Arab neighbours was an obstacle to prosperity and opportunity for Israelis, Palestinians and people across the region, she said.
Her comments come at an uncertain time for U.S.-Israel relations. Earlier this month, Vice-President Joe Biden and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell were in Jerusalem and Ramallah to take forward plans for indirect peace talks, the first in over a year, between Mr. Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Yet in what appeared to be a snub to Mr. Biden and Mr. Mitchell, the Israeli Interior Ministry announced that permission had been granted for 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem. In a strongly worded reaction Mr. Biden said, “I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem.”
Both sides have since sought to downplay the frictions over the floundering talks initiative. On Monday Ms. Clinton, however, reminded AIPAC that that conflict with Palestine threatens Israel's long term future as a secure and democratic Jewish state, and “The status quo is unsustainable for all sides.” Ms. Clinton warned that staying on this course means continuing a conflict that carries tragic human costs in terms of “more violence and unrealised aspirations.”
Labels: conflict, Israel, Palestine
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