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OBAMA INTENSIFIES PRESSURE ON IRAN
AZG DAILY
15-10-2011
President Barack Obama demanded Thursday that Iran's top leaders answer
for an alleged plot to kill the Saudi ambassador in Washington and said
U.S. allies should help make Tehran "pay a price" for its behavior.
Mr. Obama injected a new level of gravity into the incident by
taking the unusual step of authorizing U.S. diplomats to deliver a
tough message directly to Iranian representatives. The U.S. severed
diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980, WSJ reported.
"The message said this type of action is outrageous and a clear
violation of international law, that the Iranian government has
an obligation to hold any individuals associated with this plot
accountable, to cease its support for terrorism and to meet its
obligations to the international community," a senior administration
official said.
Mr. Obama didn't outline potential consequences, beyond continued
international pressure and isolation. But he said at a news conference
with the South Korean president that the plot was "part of a pattern
of dangerous and reckless behavior by the Iranian government" that
warranted a concerted international response.
The incident fueled concerns within the U.S. intelligence community
that Iranian forces may be planning other operations in the West.
"Clearly the recklessness of this plot suggests that elements of the
Iranian government could be involved in other aggressive actions,"
a U.S. official said.
Mr. Obama, addressing questions about the case by outside experts and
some diplomats, played down any doubts about the evidence in the case.
"We have contacted all our allies, the international community. We've
laid the facts before them. And we believe that after people have
analyzed them, there will not be a dispute that this is in fact what
happened," he said.
At the United Nations, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice has met with other
representatives to present the U.S. case.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague told Parliament Thursday the
evidence indicated the "deplorable plot" was backed by elements of
the Iranian government, and said he would work toward an international
response. Canadian officials also voiced support for the U.S.
position.
Russian and Chinese officials expressed skepticism about the alleged
plot Wednesday. The State Department said Thursday that the Russians
requested more information and that U.S. officials would fly to Moscow
to present it. Any U.S. move to tighten U.N. sanctions on Iran would
require support from Russia and China, which hold vetoes on the
Security Council and have resisted past U.S.-led sanctions efforts.
The U.S. said Thursday it was studying all options to increase
financial pressure on Iran, including sanctions against its central
bank.
U.S. officials said any sanctions against the Iranian central bank
would be most effective if they were imposed in concert with the
European Union and other allies.
While a crackdown on the central bank of Iran has wide support in
Congress, some officials cautioned such a move, done in concert with
the European Union and other allies, could have a destabilizing effect
on global oil markets unless Saudi Arabia and other major producers
stepped in to make up for any drop in Iranian exports.
"It's complicated," a senior congressional aide said of going after
the central bank. "I'm not sure how easily it could be done."
Mr. Obama defended what he called the "very specific set of facts"
laid out by prosecutors Tuesday when they announced the arrest of
Iranian-born U.S. citizen Manssor Arbabsiar for allegedly plotting
with Iranian officials to assassinate the Saudi envoy at a Washington
restaurant.
The Iranians planned to hire a man they believed was a member of
a Mexican drug cartel and pay him $1.5 million to carry out the
assassination, the U.S. said. Authorities said innocent people would
have been among those killed, if necessary, in the mission.
Mr. Obama said the U.S. knows Mr. Arbabsiar had "direct links,
was paid by and directed by individuals in the Iranian government"
but stopped short of saying whether he believed the operation was
approved by government leaders.
"Even if at the highest levels there was not detailed operational
knowledge, there has to be accountability with respect to anybody in
the Iranian government engaging in this kind of activity," Mr. Obama
said. "The important thing is for Iran to answer the international
community why anybody in their government is engaging in these kinds
of activities."
From: Baghdasarian
AZG DAILY
15-10-2011
President Barack Obama demanded Thursday that Iran's top leaders answer
for an alleged plot to kill the Saudi ambassador in Washington and said
U.S. allies should help make Tehran "pay a price" for its behavior.
Mr. Obama injected a new level of gravity into the incident by
taking the unusual step of authorizing U.S. diplomats to deliver a
tough message directly to Iranian representatives. The U.S. severed
diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980, WSJ reported.
"The message said this type of action is outrageous and a clear
violation of international law, that the Iranian government has
an obligation to hold any individuals associated with this plot
accountable, to cease its support for terrorism and to meet its
obligations to the international community," a senior administration
official said.
Mr. Obama didn't outline potential consequences, beyond continued
international pressure and isolation. But he said at a news conference
with the South Korean president that the plot was "part of a pattern
of dangerous and reckless behavior by the Iranian government" that
warranted a concerted international response.
The incident fueled concerns within the U.S. intelligence community
that Iranian forces may be planning other operations in the West.
"Clearly the recklessness of this plot suggests that elements of the
Iranian government could be involved in other aggressive actions,"
a U.S. official said.
Mr. Obama, addressing questions about the case by outside experts and
some diplomats, played down any doubts about the evidence in the case.
"We have contacted all our allies, the international community. We've
laid the facts before them. And we believe that after people have
analyzed them, there will not be a dispute that this is in fact what
happened," he said.
At the United Nations, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice has met with other
representatives to present the U.S. case.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague told Parliament Thursday the
evidence indicated the "deplorable plot" was backed by elements of
the Iranian government, and said he would work toward an international
response. Canadian officials also voiced support for the U.S.
position.
Russian and Chinese officials expressed skepticism about the alleged
plot Wednesday. The State Department said Thursday that the Russians
requested more information and that U.S. officials would fly to Moscow
to present it. Any U.S. move to tighten U.N. sanctions on Iran would
require support from Russia and China, which hold vetoes on the
Security Council and have resisted past U.S.-led sanctions efforts.
The U.S. said Thursday it was studying all options to increase
financial pressure on Iran, including sanctions against its central
bank.
U.S. officials said any sanctions against the Iranian central bank
would be most effective if they were imposed in concert with the
European Union and other allies.
While a crackdown on the central bank of Iran has wide support in
Congress, some officials cautioned such a move, done in concert with
the European Union and other allies, could have a destabilizing effect
on global oil markets unless Saudi Arabia and other major producers
stepped in to make up for any drop in Iranian exports.
"It's complicated," a senior congressional aide said of going after
the central bank. "I'm not sure how easily it could be done."
Mr. Obama defended what he called the "very specific set of facts"
laid out by prosecutors Tuesday when they announced the arrest of
Iranian-born U.S. citizen Manssor Arbabsiar for allegedly plotting
with Iranian officials to assassinate the Saudi envoy at a Washington
restaurant.
The Iranians planned to hire a man they believed was a member of
a Mexican drug cartel and pay him $1.5 million to carry out the
assassination, the U.S. said. Authorities said innocent people would
have been among those killed, if necessary, in the mission.
Mr. Obama said the U.S. knows Mr. Arbabsiar had "direct links,
was paid by and directed by individuals in the Iranian government"
but stopped short of saying whether he believed the operation was
approved by government leaders.
"Even if at the highest levels there was not detailed operational
knowledge, there has to be accountability with respect to anybody in
the Iranian government engaging in this kind of activity," Mr. Obama
said. "The important thing is for Iran to answer the international
community why anybody in their government is engaging in these kinds
of activities."
From: Baghdasarian