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Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
Sun Mar 6, 2016, 07:15 AM Mar 2016

Tehran’s ‘Destabilizing Activities’ On The Agenda For Biden’s Visit To Israel

Source: Jerusalem Post

The danger of Iran’s military actions in the region and Israel’s relationship with its neighbors is on the agenda for US Vice President Joe Biden’s two-day visit to the Jewish state this week.

The vice president recognizes he is visiting the region at a “challenging time,” one senior administration official told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday night.

“In Israel, in particular, he wanted to discuss Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [the Iran deal] implementation and countering Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region,” the official said.

“The vice president also looks forward to discussing Israel’s ongoing efforts to improve relations with its regional neighbors,” he added.

Read more: http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Tehrans-destabilizing-activities-on-the-agenda-for-Bidens-visit-to-Israel-446984



Busiest 'lameduck' VP that I can remember...
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Tehran’s ‘Destabilizing Activities’ On The Agenda For Biden’s Visit To Israel (Original Post) Purveyor Mar 2016 OP
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2016 #1
What it refers to are things like supporting Hezbollah and Syria karynnj Mar 2016 #2
JP is often interesting but is not a reliable source. bemildred Mar 2016 #4
I think it is brilliant for the administration karynnj Mar 2016 #5
Yes, he's the guy for that, just like you say. bemildred Mar 2016 #6
Good ol' Iran 6chars Mar 2016 #3
Things like in the main Pal. paper,(where pals look for work)forced the paper to not list jobs. Sunlei Mar 2016 #7

Response to Purveyor (Original post)

karynnj

(59,490 posts)
2. What it refers to are things like supporting Hezbollah and Syria
Sun Mar 6, 2016, 09:03 AM
Mar 2016

Things they did before the agreement. They also have backed Hamas.

Not said here, since the agreement, they helped get the Vienna agreement, the UN resolution, and the ceasefire in Syria. They also pulled their revolutionary guards out of Syria. In addition, their election showed gains for the moderates.

I think some of the comments are to keep Israel happy, but I note that it says Biden is looking to see Israeli and Palestinian leaders. The JP seems to lean right so they may be cherry picking comments. This is a pretty tricky time when the US is not doing what Israel wants on Syria and they are still unhappy over the Iran deal. Good luck to Biden and team in having a successfull trip.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
4. JP is often interesting but is not a reliable source.
Sun Mar 6, 2016, 09:35 AM
Mar 2016

In the sense that they carry speculative stuff all the time, Israeli PR carried as news, as you would expect. But much better than ten years ago. They do lean right, but much better than Arutz Sheva for example, which is full of babble.

Thanks, I was wondering what that was about, BIden makes sense in that role.

karynnj

(59,490 posts)
5. I think it is brilliant for the administration
Sun Mar 6, 2016, 10:20 AM
Mar 2016

They can't argue that they are being ignored - Biden is the second highest member of the administration. While Kerry is likely to be in the region, it would not be good to add anything he might have to say in publicly calming down Israel to the very delicate balance that he has to work in Syria.

It is interesting that so many Arab, European and even US articles are beginning to speak of the "concessions" the US is making in Syria. It seems to me that many "concessions" are really Obama/Kerry standing on Obama's actual positions that both the CIA and possibly the Clinton State Department went beyond in their promises and even actions. Not to mention, they are responding to REALITY. It is actually too bad that the earlier attempts at "Geneva 2" failed -- largely because neither side was at the point of giving up getting it all.

I will be interested to read anything Obama writes on the middle east during his term in the future. I completely respect Obama for the person he is, but even if the current efforts everywhere in that region were to succeed (ie ISIS is defeated, Iran and Syria get functioning governments controlling all their territory and the effort in Libya leads to a stable government -- things even Obama does not publicly hope will happen before he leaves office), the pain created likely makes this a negative for him. This is hard to write, for me, because I really had hoped that Obama could change the path we were on. On Syria, I wish he would have gone with his gut opinion and made it clear that he would fire the head of any department that did not follow his plan -- yes including HRC - in spite of the real political cost he would have incurred. (a part of me second guesses that, as it loses the 2nd term gains that happened.)

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
6. Yes, he's the guy for that, just like you say.
Sun Mar 6, 2016, 10:28 AM
Mar 2016

The light seems to be dawning elsewhere too, a good deal more hand-holding to be done.

All the nattering about concessions is the consequence of all the mindless PR belligerence that preceeded it. If you don't want to look like a fool, you have to mind your tongue.

There is a thread I put up last night from National Interest on that whole business that I found very useful.

Here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/113316135

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