|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://washingtoninstitute.org/templateC06.php?CID=1836
Between the Lines of Obama's AIPAC Speech
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Robert Satloff - On the positive side, Obama did not air publicly any of the arguments against military force that whisperers from inside his administration have been telling journalists in recent weeks. Those statements had the effect of undermining the overall thrust of U.S. strategy. On the negative side, by repeatedly saying his administration was committed to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon - but never mentioning the capability to build a nuclear weapon - the president clearly settled the debate about what the goal of U.S. policy really is, in favor of the narrower definition of what Washington is actually trying to prevent (i.e., a weapon, not the broader capability to build a weapon). The writer is executive director of The Washington Institute.