Israel Matzav: Obama trying to delay Congressional sanctions approval

Obama trying to delay Congressional sanctions approval

The Obama administration has sought to delay the passage of a reconciled version of the Iran sanctions bill that was passed by both the House and the Senate by overwhelming margins earlier this session. The administration wants the delay ostensibly to give their attempts to pass sanctions in the UN Security Council more time to work.

The Hill newspaper quoted unidentified sources as saying the White House has quietly asked lawmakers not to move quickly to produce a single sanctions bill that would go to the president, who could sign or veto it.

Bruce MacDonald with the United States Institute of Peace says a delay would help by not tying the administration's hands when it comes to negotiating with Tehran.

"Having worked in Congress for a long time, I fully recognize that Congress should maintain all its prerogatives," said Bruce MacDonald. "But I would hope that they might give the Obama administration a little bit more of a chance, especially now when it looks like there is some movement on the part of China and Russia."

MacDonald says reaching an agreement at the United Nations to achieve President Obama's timeline will not be easy, but it should not be ruled out. Where China is concerned, he points to indications from Beijing that it recognizes that something other than simply pure diplomacy might be needed with Iran.

Iran has dismissed the threat of tougher sanctions, saying that any such step would only strengthen its determination to move ahead with its nuclear program, a remark Iran's chief nuclear negotiator made during a visit to Beijing.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has avoided characterizing congressional contacts as an effort to slow down an Iran sanctions bill. Briefing reporters on Monday, Gibbs said only that this is a "critical time period" with U.S. allies at the United Nations. He reiterated the president's belief that a sanctions resolution would be acted on by the Security Council in the next few months.

I don't know which of the 'next few months' they have in mind, but it's not going to be April. Sanctions against Iran aren't even on the agenda (Hat Tip: Jihad Watch).

The deadly farce continues. The disbursement of strategic and economic goodies to Russia and China is accelerating. It is all for a good cause of getting "debilitating", "biting" sanction against Iran through the Security Council, administration officials assure us. Foggy Bottom lets it be known that the Chinese are coming around to supporting anti-Iranian sanctions. Barack Obama announces that tough UN sanctions could expected in weeks. NOT TRUE - NOT EVEN CLOSE. The truth is that the Chinese are instead considering Ahmadinejad's invitation to an nulcear disarmament conference rivaling that of Obama. Moreover, the UN Security Council has not even bothered putting Iran sanctions on its agenda. The FT reports on the bottom of p.4:

Obama's hopes of swift sanctions against Iran suffer setback in UN

The United Nations Security Council yesterday failed to include Iran's nuclear programm on its agenda for April, underlining the likely slow road to sanctions that Barack Obama, US president, had hoped to have in place "within weeks".

Japan's Yukio Takasu, this month's president of the 15-member council, said no meeting had been scheduled because it was not yet clear "when this might be taken up. It may not be taken up".. . .

Maybe Obama just wants Iran to get nuclear weapons. What could go wrong?

Israel Matzav: Obama trying to delay Congressional sanctions approval