Demonstrations in the wake of Iran's presidential election are a sign that country's dissidents want the U.S. to get involved in the disputed contest, Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) asserted Monday.
Bond, the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, pushed back against President Obama's claim that the election is not a U.S. issue, and urged the administration to speak out more forcefully in favor of Iranian dissidents.
"We didn't have anything to do with this uprising; we're not trying to tell them who they should select," Bond said on CNBC Monday morning. "But when they have such obvious election fraud and the violence with which they are dealing with...the way they've done it is unacceptable."
"They want us, they are appealing to us to recognize it," We need to recognize the legitimate aspirations of the American people."
Republicans have criticized the Obama administration for a perceived passivity in their response to the Iranian elections.
The president, by contrast, has emphasized the need to not be seen as meddling in the outcome of the contest
"This is an opportunity where we think -- I think, personally -- the president should be speaking out much more clearly on behalf of the Iranian people," Bond said.
The Iranian presidential elections are not a U.S. issue, President Obama said Monday, seeking to underscore an image of non-interference in Iran's persistent domestic conflict.
"This is not an issue of the United States, or the West versus Iran," Obama said during an appearance on CBS Monday morning.
The president acknowledged the possibility of a strong U.S. position on the election being used domestically in Iran against those who allege incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stole the election from reformist candidate MirHossein Mousavi.
"The last thing that I want to do is to have the United States be a foil for those forces inside Iran, who would love nothing better than to make this an argument about the United States," the president explained. "That's what they do. That's what we're already seeing."
Some lawmakers -- mostly Republicans -- have criticized Obama for a perceived passivity in the race, arguing the administration should do more to encourage Mousavi supporters, who've taken to the streets since Iran's ruling regime declared Ahmadinejad the victor by an overwhelming margin.
The lone lawmaker to vote against the symbolic measure supporting Iranian dissidents, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), defended that vote Friday, saying the U.S. is only selectively expressing its outrage at voter suppression in other countries.
"I rise in reluctant opposition to H Res 560, which condemns the Iranian government for its recent actions during the unrest in that country," Paul said in a statement on his website.
"Of course I do not support attempts by foreign governments to suppress the democratic aspirations of their people, but when is the last time we condemned Saudi Arabia or Egypt or the many other countries where unlike in Iran there is no opportunity to exercise any substantial vote on political leadership?" the libertarian Republican asked. "It seems our criticism is selective and applied when there are political points to be made."
Paul said he supported President Obama's more cautious approach to the situation in Iran, an approach many of his Republican colleagues in Congress have criticized as too lax.
Just 6% of Jewish Israelis consider President Obama to be "pro-Israel," a new poll finds.
By contrast, 50% consider his policies to be more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israel.
The Jerusalem Post, who sponsored the poll, suspects Obama's poor showing is related to his stance on settlements, which the administration has urged Israel to hault.
One possible explanation for the Obama administration's plummeting approval rating among Israelis is its opposition to building for natural growth in settlement blocs and its refusal to differentiate its policies regarding construction in unauthorized outposts, settlement blocs close to the Green Line and suburbs of Jerusalem.
The poll found that Israelis, by contrast, emphatically distinguish between outposts, isolated settlements and settlement blocs in the West Bank. Regarding outposts, 57% favor removing them, 38% are against, and 5% did not express an opinion.
Meanwhile, former President Bush is viewed much more favorable. 88% of respondents consider his administration pro-Israel, with just 2% labeling him "pro-Palestinian."
Think one of those infamous "Swiss bank accounts" will keep your money away from the U.S. government? Maybe not anymore.
The U.S. Treasury Department and Swiss officials announced Friday they had reached an agreement to share tax information to curb tax evasion in the U.S.
The agreement between the U.S. and Switzerland would strengthen rules under the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) model tax code to permit the maximum amount of information sharing to prosecute tax evaders.
"This Administration is committed to reducing off shore tax evasion to help ensure that all U.S. taxpayers are playing by the same rules," Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said in a statement. "This treaty will increase our ability to enforce our tax laws and will help bring an end to an era of offshore accounts and investments being used for tax evasion."
Swiss banking laws have been known for their high standards of privacy for customers, making it easy to hide assets in Swiss banks.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei laid down the gauntlet on Friday and told protesters they are either with the government or against it, warning of a crack down against opposition.
Khamenei, speaking at Friday prayers for the first time since last week's elections, called for "calm" after the numerous demonstrations where multiple protesters have reportedly be killed.
The leader also warned that opposition leaders will be "held responsible," according to Reuters. That makes the strictest language used yet toward the protesters.
"If there is any bloodshed, leaders of the protests will be held directly responsible," Khamenei said.
"The result of the election comes from the ballot box, not from the street," he also said.
A couple quick observations: It is worth noting that Khamenei's remarks were delivered at Friday prayers. Not exactly a sign of a secular democracy, in my opinion.
And second, will Mousavi respond?
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Americans believe North Korea is the greatest threat to U.S. national security, a new Gallup poll finds.
51% of respondents say North Korea is a "direct threat" to the United States. 46% say the same thing about Iran.
The poll was conducted on Monday and Tuesday, just as the protests in Iran were building. I'd be curious to see how the growing unrest in that country affects Americans' perception of the Iranian threat.
Gallup helpfully breaks down responses by party ID. Republicans are much more likely to see global threats than Democrats are, with independents somewhere in the middle.
John Kerry took to the pages of the NYT today to defend the Obama administration's careful response to the Iranian protests.
The theme of the op-ed: This is about Iran, not America.
Kerry takes a swipe at the "neoconservatives" who are urging some kind of intervention and cautions that "words matter."
There's just one problem. If we actually want to empower the Iranian people, we have to understand how our words can be manipulated and used against us to strengthen the clerical establishment, distract Iranians from a failing economy and rally a fiercely independent populace against outside interference. Iran's hard-liners are already working hard to pin the election dispute, and the protests, as the result of American meddling. On Wednesday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry chastised American officials for "interventionist" statements. Government complaints of slanted coverage by the foreign press are rising in pitch.
We can't escape the reality that for reformers in Tehran to have any hope for success, Iran's election must be about Iran--not America. And if the street protests of the last days have taught us anything, it is that this is an Iranian moment, not an American one.
Kerry goes on to argue that Mousavi's credibility comes from his role in overthrowing the Shah. Anything the United States does to ally itself with Mousavi might damage his political credibility.
For a lawmaker's op-ed, the piece is surprisingly substantive, whether you agree with it or not. But then again, I hear they have some pretty tough editors at the NYT.
President Obama is a "cream puff" on the world stage, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) alleged Tuesday.
"Already the North Koreans have challenged him and realized that he's a cream puff -- if that's what indeed he's going to be as a president," Rohrabacher told a conservative news radio program.
"I think that Mr. Obama, if he continues to have these type of attitudes, we're going to see things get very bad very quickly," Rohabacher said. "The last thing you want to do is make it sound like these people are isolated -- that the people in the street don't have any backing."
Rohrabacher had tweeted yesterday that the tumultuous aftermath of the presidential election in Iran meant it was the time for "regime change" in that country. He seemed to repeat that notion Tuesday, deeming the protests in Iran a "moment of opportunity" to help Iran transition to a more moderate and Democratic government.
Rohrabacher serves as ranking member of the House Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight.
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