US Criticized on Iran Sanctions

President Obama continues his policy of demoralizing America's friends and encouraging its enemies.

Thus, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, either through ignorance or through indifference, has given support to Argentina's absurd claim to the Falkland Islands, a territory that Britain fought a war to protect some 25 years ago. It's another stage in this administration's transformation of the "special relationship" into a generic one.

In the meantime, Obama is establishing a record of being exceptionally soft on our enemies.

The New York Times reveals how the US government has allowed a whole series of exemptions from economic sanctions for companies that do business with Iran—though it claims that this is a policy that goes back to the previous administration.

Even worse is the story below, which indicates that the US is carving out further exemptions for our "partners" in UN talks on Iran, including China. But the whole point of pursuing sanctions through these "multilateral" negotiations was that we were supposed to get companies like China to join us in imposing sanctions. But once again, Obama's policy is one of unilateral and pre-emptive surrender of American interests.

"US Criticized on Iran Sanctions," John Pomfret and Colum Lynch, Washington Post, March 5

The Obama administration is pushing to carve out an exemption for China and other permanent members of the UN Security Council from legislation pending in the Senate and the House that would tighten sanctions on companies doing business in Iran, administration and congressional sources said.

China has balked at supporting a fourth round of UN sanctions on Iran. That has emboldened countries on the council, such as Brazil, Turkey and Lebanon, to also express opposition.

The administration's plan in effect would label China as a country cooperating in the US-led drive to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and appears to be part of a broader strategy to prod Beijing to vote for a new sanctions resolution. The three previous resolutions enjoyed broad support in the 15-member council, so any result that includes several abstentions or no votes would be viewed as a major diplomatic setback.

But the administration's lobbying for a Chinese exemption has raised eyebrows in Congress and angered several allies, most notably South Korea and Japan, which would not be exempted under the administration's plan.

"We're absolutely flabbergasted," said one senior official from a foreign country friendly to the United States. "Tell me what exactly have the Chinese done to deserve this?"…

One foreign official complained that the administration's efforts would encourage China to water down U.N. sanctions on Iran as much as possible and then push Chinese firms—should the US law pass—to invest more in Iran's oil and gas sector.



Robert Tracinski writes daily commentary at TIADaily.com. He is the editor of "The Intellectual Activist (TIA)" and contributor to "The Freedom Fighter's Journal."