Obama Is Appalled At Iran Mistreating, Killing Protesters Who Allege Vote Fraud
Chances Dim For Major Reduction In Iranian Missile-Nuclear Threat That Could Justify Abandoning European Missile Defense
President Obama’s hopes to negotiate an end to the Iranian nuclear and missile programs, a signature position during his election campaign last year, dwindled as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blistered the U.S. president with disrespectful and disdainful language.
Ahmadinejad alleged Obama is interfering in Iranian affairs, and told Obama not to “disgrace yourself further by such language and behavior.”
Obama has said repeatedly that if he can negotiate an end to the Iranian nuclear and missile threat, then there will be no need for the United States to construct the planned European Missile Defense (EMD) system.
Indeed, Obama provided a mere token $51 million for the EMD, as part of his federal budget proposal for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2010. That means construction of the EMD cannot even begin, and it would require years to complete.
Pending authorization legislation in Congress backs Obama on the EMD issue. (Please see related stories in this issue.)
It is unclear how the United States can protect Europe and other allied states from Iranian missiles, if the EMD isn’t built, unless the United States attempts to move other missile defense systems into the area that aren’t intended to counter long-range or intercontinental ballistic missiles the way the EMD would.
Military analysts said it would be awkward to attempt using Navy ships with Aegis weapon control systems and Standard Missile interceptors to provide a shield against Iranian missiles, since that might require up to six ships on station at all times, 24-7. The Aegis is intended to obliterate short- and medium-range enemy missiles after they move beyond their boost phase.
For his part, Obama has become increasingly critical of Iranian moves to crush dissent, after a contested election in which the Ahmadinejad government said the incumbent won a wide reelection victory. His opponent, Mir Hossein Mousavi, alleged voter fraud and claimed that he won the election, not Ahmadinejad. Mousavi loyalists protesting the election have been beaten, jailed and killed.
Obama, speaking at the White House, condemned these acts as violating Iranians’ human rights. He has praised protesters’ “bravery in the face of brutality,” and said that bludgeoning those people is “outrageous.”
“We are going to monitor and see how this plays itself out before we make any adjustments about how we proceed,” Obama said. But he’s not optimistic about the outlook, saying it is “obviously is not encouraging in terms of the path that this regime may choose to take.”
Meanwhile, Iran continues what many military analysts say is a determined march to wielding nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that could threaten Europe, Israel and the United States.
Iran this year launched a satellite, proving it commands the technology to build a multi-stage ICBM. Half an hour after launch, the satellite was over the United States. Tehran has launched a missile from a submerged submarine, and also has missiles able to strike Israel. And it has increased the 5,000 centrifuges whirling to create nuclear materials, up to 7,000 now, with a goal of 55,000.
Ahmadinejad has said he envisions the world without the United States. He also has said Israel should be wiped fom the map, and that Israel soon shall cease to exist.
Further, the leader has labeled Obama’s expressions of concern over repression of dissidents as “insulting and irrelevant.”
As well, Ahmadinejad has likened Democrat Obama to his Republican predecessor at the White House, George Bush. That was a blistering insult to Obama, who during the election campaign portrayed Bush as a colossally incompetent president who gave the United States war without end, towering budget deficits, two recessions and the worst economic turmoil since the Great Depression, and blatant human rights violations — the very issue Obama raised with respect to Iran.
In remarks at a White House news conference last week, Obama termed the plight of the Iranian protesters “heartbreaking” and “fundamentally unjust,” saying he fears that peaceful demonstrators may be stifled as they seek freedom of expression.
He praised their “courage,” adding that “we hope … justice will prevail.”