This is a very interesting week, its the United Nations General Assembly week where all leaders come together and "accuse" each other in polite and sometimes harsh ways. It is the only time that leaders of nations, even those that US called "axis of evil", attended. I stayed glued to the TV screen trying to see changes within the tone of the international community since the election of President Barrack Obama and the UNGA of last year. The two things I gathered from this meetings are 1. 2010 UNGA is an Israel bashing session 2. It is a chance to attack the weakest president ever led the world's only superpower.
First, President Obama never mentioned 'terrorism' but other heads of states did. Most of the leaders who spoke at the UNGA believed in a global 'terrorism' network, while the US administration demonstrated it doesn't believe terrorism ever existed. In his appearance Obama spent a few seconds on the Iranian nuclear program and even extended an indirect invitation to Iran for further negotiation despite the fact that Iran had defied four UN-Resolutions and tougher sanctions. He then spent the rest of the speech addressing Israel and Palestine issues in a not so optimistic tone. Amongst his optimism is the notion that once a Palestinian state is established, terrorism may come to an end and that the Palestinians will live peaceful co-existence. What he failed to understand is that Palestinians never wanted peace. They destroyed ever single opportunity to create a state of their own, and every time Israel signaled its willingness to negotiate, they either fire rockets to Israel or attack Israeli citizens knowing that Israel would react with military force. It was the case with Yassar Arafat's administration to Abbas' government.
Even with a so-called 'moderate' leader like Abbas, Palestinians demonstrated they didn't want a state of their own. This is evident in the Hamas invasion of Gaza in an effort to topple the government of Abbas. To date, Hamas continues to rule Gaza while Abbas controls the West Bank. This is in keeping with the Hamas 'charter' which does not recognize Israel, and a document which inspired young men and women of Palestine to become 'suicide bombers' in order to called 'martyrs' of Allah. Since its inception, Hamas had been calling for the destruction of Israel and making the killing of Jews an honorable responsibility and blessed the mothers whose children committed suicide and killed innocent Jews. In fact, the Hamas Charter is reflected in the Hezbollah's Charter and the Iranian regime's talking points which didn't only denied everything from the 'Israeli Holocaust' (despite the fact the denial of the holocaust is illegal in Germany), but also call for the 'annihilation of the state of Israel.
Secondly, Obama based his views on the fact, as he explained in the above video clip, America had no direct communication with Iran since the Islamic revolution in Iran. This isolation, Obama argued, is indeed laughable and somewhat flawed even if over the years, Iran had not been been deterred by its isolation. But its been two years since Obama extended his hand to the Iranian nut leaders for direct negotiations. He did that in his speeches and on a direct youtube address to the Iranian people. However, this session, the Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmedinejad showed Obama just exactly the opposite. His speech on Thursday (two days ago) debunked the democratic belief that direct talks would make the world love America.
Recently, Iran announced it had enriched its nuclear facilities, and threatened America of any attack against it. Under president Obama's watch, North Korea sunk a South Korean warship, and continued to pursue its nuclear ambitions. These are instances reminiscent of the 1990s when America was attacked everywhere when its leader was too busy cheating on his wife. One would ask, where's the love and friendship that Obama promised to bring to America if he opened up to the world? the answer is simply, there's no LOVE for America.
In this video clip, Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, after Obama's call for close negotiation, claimed America orchestrated the 9/11 events in order to save its economy and save the Zionist regime. Interestingly, the US delegation had sat through his first speech and even in this speech, in a good-will gesture, but how come they walked out? Where is the proof that Iran would love America if the US government extends its hand to it? Where is the truth in Obama's claim that isolation only empowers them and that an open diplomacy would quench the anger amongst political leaders? The answer is this; Obama is not living in the real world where issues aren't defined by how and what a person believes, rather by a whole array of socioeconomic and sociopolitical factors. The differences between Iran and US are more than just political--they are based on elements of history and core values of the religions the two nations embraced for centuries.
Yes, President Reagan spoke to his counterpart, but he did so on mutual interest of keeping the world safe. Reagan was more intimidating than just a handshake and back patting, and the two Superpowers knew the danger of their arsenal and were constantly seeking ways to avoid a nuclear world war. And even the most hawkish Democrat leader John Kennedy, he was in many ways too weak. It was under his watch that nuclear weapons were mounted in Cuba and under his leadership, Cuban Americans were sent without backups only to be slaughtered at the Bay of Pigs. He didn't achieve any positive result as a byproduct of face-to-face diplomatic approach to the USSR. But there's one clear in this analogy--Obama is no Reagan and noo he is no Kennedy either. Ahmadinejad's outburst and the US delegation walking out of the session points to Obama's inexperience in the real world. His limited experience in the world of politics, international diplomacy and his distorted views of the relationship between US and Muslims' world is taking America in a completely dangerous road.
The question remains, what is the best way to approach Iran? There is no better way to approach Iran other than a robust sanction that would squeeze Iran out of its comfort zone. This would mean that those European nations that still supporting Iran must also back off! and let Iran feel the financial agony that comes with isolation.
This session is anti-semitic in all aspects. It is a time where anti-Israel regimes of Europe and around the world took most of their time bashing Israel of its handling of the Flotilla which IDF killed nine people who were armed with pipes and knives and aggressive, YET no one mentioned the fact that North Korea sunk a South Korean warship and killed 43 people. And the US administration failed miserably to bring home the message that Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorists just as the US did around Cuba in the 1960s. The US president failed miserably too to cool off the anger toward Israel as the US government had always done in the past as the true and real ally of Israel, and never even acknowledge the fact that Israel cannot exist without being recognized as a state of its own right.
Instead, the US president made this session and the opportunity to address nations of the world, all about himself. What he did, his domestic policies and his ambitions for America. Who cares? All nations of the world come to the UN to find ways to work together on issues crossing international boundaries. Certainly leaders of the countries present at the UNGA have done marvelous things in their own country. Germany can bear witness to that, so would China and Jan, and even South Korea. President Obama failed miserably to adequately addressing world issues!
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