‘AIPAC behind US anit-Iran sanctions’

May 23rd, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Press TV has interviewed Jamal Wakim, professor at the Lebanese International University in Beirut about the motivations of Obama, US Congress and AIPAC behind the additional sanctions applied on Iran ahead of the P5+1 talks scheduled for this Wednesday May 22 in Baghdad. What follows is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV: More sanctions, yet more talks as well. Why is the US sending mixed signals?

Wakim: This is an attempt by the US to step up its pressures on Iran prior to the negotiations in order to have more concessions from the Iranian regime regarding the issue of the nuclear file of Iran.

This is normal prior to any negotiations, but this doesn’t mean that it might affect negatively the Iranian economy. Of course, it has impact, but it doesn’t have to lead to concessions by the Iranian regime.

Press TV: How does it reflect on US intentions then going into these talks that it still needs to resort to these sanctions to keep, for example, its Israeli lobby happy? Is it destroying chances of success in the talks?

Wakim: Well, for the Obama administration we need to know that they are about to run for reelection and they cannot present any concession to Iran as a sign of weakness.

That’s why they need to address indirectly AIPAC, which is highly influential in US politics, in order not to jeopardize their relations with AIPAC and at the same time come up with fruitful results with Iran – especially since Obama was resisting pressures to go into confrontation with Iran, which would have damaged his campaign for reelection.

So, on one hand Obama refrained from going into military action against Iran, but on the other hand he needs to look tougher than other presidents especially in negotiations. So we need to understand Obama and his way of thinking.

Press TV: Iran has always said that these sanctions do not affect it and in fact it makes it more independent. So, can the US not see that these sanctions as well do not work in its interests necessarily?

Wakim: For Iran we know very well that the economy of Iran is highly autonomous or it’s autonomous to a large extent, so, international sanctions might affect certain sectors in the Iranian economy, but not the whole economy to the extent of crippling them.

But on the other hand as I said before, Obama needs to look tough in front of the American audience and especially in front of AIPAC so he cannot present negotiations with Iran as a sign of weakness.

That is why stepping up pressures or economic sanctions on Iran prior to these negotiations will serve Obama’s objective first to negotiate with Iran, but at the same time not to present it as a sign of weakness especially since it was the US Congress that issued these new sanctions, not the administration itself, in order to pressure Obama.

So we need to understand the functioning of American branches of their different institutions and their part or their role in the decision making process.

SC/JR