Iran: Obama's Secret Agenda

Although you have been made to believe that Obama's opposition to a US Senate amendment, enabling the US president to sanction foreign banks carrying out a "significant financial transaction with the Central Bank of Iran," is premised upon concern for the US economy, think again.

The amendment sponsored by Democratic Senator Robert Menendez and Republican Senator Mark Kirk was approved yesterday by 100-0; however, not before David Cohen, the U.S. Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, attempted, on Obama's behalf, to torpedo the proposed legislation. Watch as a livid Senator Menendez rips into Cohen for this act of hyprocrisy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G46Fnc_gVx4).

Earlier this week, Obama participated in a fundraiser at the Manhattan home of Jack Rosen, Chairman of the American Jewish Congress, which raised $300,000 for Obama's re-election campaign. After Rosen stated, "it would be remiss for me not to say there are many in the Jewish community who are concerned" about the relationship between Israel and the US, Obama replied (http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2011/11/30/what-did-president-obama-say-tonight-at-a-campaign-event/):

"And as Jack alluded to, this administration — I try not to pat myself too much on the back, but this administration has done more in terms of the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration."

At no point during his talk at Rosen's home did Obama mention Iran, and for good reason. Although the UK is now sanctioning Iran's central bank, and France is considering following suit, Obama is refusing to go along with the UK, purportedly because such action could affect the price of oil and negatively affect the US economy. In fact, the price of oil and the state of the economy are not the reasons for Obama's refusal.

When Obama became president, rapprochement with Iran was the keystone of his new radical foreign policy, and he was getting all the support from the press, e.g., the editorial board of The New York Times and columnist Roger Cohen, that he could possibly require (see: http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.com/2011/04/obama-iran-and-twittergate-jaccuse.html).

But then came the fraudulent election of Ahmadinejad in June 2009, when Iranian protesters took to the streets in what became known as the "Green Revolution." Beaten, imprisoned, tortured and murdered, the protesters called out Obama's name from the streets of Tehran, but Obama ignored their pleas for help, refusing even to bring the matter before the United Nations. Obama's indifference to the Green Revolution was a calculated decision to adhere to his policy of currying favor with the mullahs, which until today has not paid dividends. Unhindered by Obama, Iran has continued its grim quest for nuclear weapons.

Last week, David Cohen, who was excoriated by Senator Menendez, traveled to the United Arab Emirates and Israel to discuss Obama's decision to declare Iran a jurisdiction of "primary money laundering concern." However, as someone who has worked with financial institutions in the field of money laundering prevention, I can assure you that this pronouncement will have no effect whatsoever on the willingness of banks to maintain their relationships with Tehran. On the other hand, sanctioning foreign banks for transactions with the central bank of Iran would throw a monkey wrench into the Iranian economy.

The reality is that a certain key advisor to Obama, implacably hostile to Israel, is unwilling to sanction Iran's central bank. It is being claimed that given the chaos emerging in Egypt and Syria and the potential for sectarian conflict in an Iraq following the evacuation of American troops, the US will need to achieve a modus vivendi with the mullahs. No, you will not find this in the press.

Hence, Cohen's attempt to derail sanctions against Iran's central bank. Hence, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta's recent declarations, which ruled out military options against Iran.

Saudi Arabia is willing to increase oil output if the US will put the screws to Tehran, but Obama doesn't want any part of it. It's not about oil, and it's not about the economy.

And although both Israel and the UAE, in exchange for US-manufactured bunker bombs, have agreed to play along with Obama's delaying tactics (there is no denying the Procrastinator-in-Chief), the situation grows more dire by the day.