By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June
19 -- When US
President Barack Obama spoke about Iraq on June 19 he said, "if Iran is
coming in solely as an armed force on behalf of the Shia... then that probably worsens the situation."
In a
background call after Obama's remarks, Senior Administration Officials
put more distance between the US and Iran, saying there will be no
military coordination (including advance notice of any air strikes), and that it is not anticipated that Secretary of State Kerry will be meeting with the Iranians during his upcoming trip.
Obama pointed to Syria and said that its problems were caused in part by Iran coming in "hot and heavy" on one side. One wondered, what about Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and Turkey?
Inner City Press at noon on June 19 asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric for any UN or Secretary General Ban Ki-moon view on the US seeking UN Security Council approval for military action in Iraq.
Dujarric noted that Obama would be speaking and said he did not want to get in front of that. Clearly not. Nor on Libya's complaint about the US seizing Abu Khattalah.
The US Senior Administration Officials cited Khattalah, as will as military strikes in Somalia and Yemen. They were asked, insistently, if there will be small teams sent in to call in air strikes. One thing we know: the Iranian would not be told in advance.
Background: On June 16 a
Senior State
Department
Official told
the press, "We
are open to
engaging the
Iranians, just
as we are
engaging other
regional
players on the
threat post by
ISIL in Iraq.
The issue did
come up
briefly with
Iran on the
margins of the
P5+1 in Vienna
today,
separate from
our trilateral
meeting. These
engagements
will not
include
military
coordination
or strategic
determinations
about Iraq’s
future over
the heads of
the Iraqi
people. We
will discuss
how ISIL
threatens many
countries in
the region,
including
Iran, and the
need to
support
inclusivity in
Iraq and
refrain from
pressing a
sectarian
agenda."
Earlier on
June 16 a US
Senior
Administration
Official told
reporters the
issue does not
give Iran more
leverage,
while talks
about Iraq may
occur "on the
margins," that
is separate
from the P5+1
process.
Asked of
timing, the US
official said
"we are all
focused on
July 20... we
can get this
done." And now?
And as set
forth before,
how Francois
Hollande's and
Laurent
Fabius' open
lobbying for
BNP Paribas
and its
violation of
Iran sanctions
might still have an
impact as
well.
Fabius
has said that
Iran wants
hundreds of
thousands of
centrifuges
and that
France is
drawing the
line there,
copying itself
from 2013.
But how
strange:
Francois
Hollande and
Fabius defend
BNP Paribas'
violation of
Iran
sanctions,
while loudly
playing
hardball.
Playing is the
operative
word. Watch
this site.
