June 22 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama won a respite from domestic criticism of his response to the crisis in Iran, as Republican lawmakers welcomed his call on the regime to “stop all violent and unjust actions” against anti-government protesters.
Senator John McCain of Arizona told CBS’s “Face Nation” program yesterday that Obama’s June 20 remarks were “far stronger” than previous statements and added: “We will need to continue to send that message.”
Obama is “certainly moving in the right direction,” Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said on the ABC’s “This Week” program. “I hope that we’ll hear more of this, because the young men and women taking the streets in Tehran need our support.”
Obama faces a dilemma as he formulates his response to the violence in Iran: showing support for anti-government protesters risks provoking an even harsher crackdown by the regime, while remaining silent exposes him to domestic political criticism.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed the U.S., which hasn’t had diplomatic relations with Iran since 1980, and the United Kingdom for inciting the protests.
“By making hasty comments, you will not have a place in the circle of the Iranian nation’s friends,” Ahmadinejad said, according to Agence France-Presse. “Therefore, I recommend you to correct your interfering positions.”
Protesters Killed
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians have opposed the reelection of Ahmadinejad as president, engaging in the largest demonstrations since the Islamic Revolution that ousted the shah in 1979. At least 10 protesters were killed during clashes with Iranian police two days ago.
“The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching,” Obama said in his June 20 statement. “We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people.”
Asked about Obama’s handling of the situation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he wouldn’t “second-guess the president of the United States.” The Israeli praised the “incredible courage” of the Iranian protesters.
The House and Senate voted on June 19 for a resolution condemning violence directed at supporters of former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, who the protesters say was the rightful winner of the June 12 election. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that the demonstrations, the largest in Iran in 30 years, must end.
Ahmadinejad’s warnings against U.S. interference have some lawmakers worried.
‘Great Damage’
“The question is: Should the United States take ownership of this revolution?” Connecticut Democrat Christopher Dodd said on ABC. “I think we do great damage to the effort if it appears this is a U.S.-led effort.”
Both McCain and Graham say Obama should be speaking out about Iran.
“Now, I’m not for sending arms. I’m not for fomenting violence,” McCain said on CBS. “But we are saying we’re on their side as they seek freedom.”
Other lawmakers are seeking more tangible actions. House Republican leader John Boehner called on the administration to block Iran’s imports of refined oil products.
Obama needs “to take real, strong action, make it clear he’s not going to sit down with the Iranians until they begin to treat their people respectfully and that they’re willing to stop their nuclear programs,” Boehner said last week in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital With Al Hunt.”
Sanctions Considered
Sanctions are something the administration has been looking at in its dealings with Iran, though not necessarily in reaction to recent political events, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said last week.
While Iran is the second largest oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries after Saudi Arabia, its refineries currently are unable to keep up with demand for gasoline, according the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The congressional resolution condemning the crackdown on Iranian protestors passed the House 405-1, with Texas Republican Ron Paul casting the sole opposing vote, and later was approved by the Senate unanimously.
Gibbs said the administration welcomed the resolution, which he said was “very consistent” with the president’s statements.
Some leaders in Iran “would love” to draw the U.S. into the country’s internal politics as a way to increase their own support, Gibbs said last week. “The president has said we’re not going to be used as political foils and political footballs.”
Promoting Freedom
Democratic Representative Howard Berman of California, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the U.S. has an obligation to promote “human freedom around the world, and it is in that context that I know that this House and this administration are pursuing this mission.”
Obama and his aides have repeatedly said the political upheaval in Iran won’t halt U.S. attempts to engage the Persian Gulf nation of 73 million people on the most pressing strategic issues: halting Iranian efforts to enrich uranium, which could be used in a nuclear weapon, and its support for terrorist groups.
“Those are core interests not just to the United States, but, I think, to a peaceful world in general,” Obama said June 15. “We will continue to pursue a tough, direct dialogue between our two countries, and we’ll see where it takes us.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Drajem in Washington at mdrajem@bloomberg.net
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