This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-news-blog/2012/mar/05/barack-obama-binyamin-netanyahu-aipac
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Barack Obama and Binyamin Netanyahu talks – live | Barack Obama and Binyamin Netanyahu talks – live |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 11.04am: The meeting commences. They look happy. | |
| PHOTO: Obama meets Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House by @AP 's Pablo Martinez Monsivais twitter.com/CharlesDharapa… | |
| — Charles Dharapak (@CharlesDharapak) March 5, 2012 | |
| 10.55am: As we wait for the outcome of the White House meeting between Obama and Netanyahu, here's my colleague Chris McGreal from the floor of the Aipac conference, with a roundup of the action there this morning. | |
| It's been a busy morning of rhetoric at Aipac with Iran inevitably the focus of much of it. The pro-Israel activists have been treated to war talk from the veteran but soon to be ex-senator, Joe Lieberman – whose waning credibility as a liberal was finally sunk by his support of John McCain over Barack Obama for president – and from the former model and enthusiastic Christian evangelist, Kathy Ireland. | |
| Obama's call yesterday to stop the war talk did not deter Lieberman from issuing repeated threats to attack Iran. | |
| 'It is definitely within our power to stop Iran from achieving a nuclear weapons capability. The question is not whether we can stop them but whether we will choose to stop them. That is why with my colleagues [in the Senate] I've introduced a non-partisan resolution that says when it comes to a nuclear Iran all options must be on the table except one option and that is containment. It won't work,' he said. Lieberman said that the choice as to whether military action is used is Iran's. 'So far, though economic sanctions applied have clearly affected the Iranian economy, the fact is they haven't led the fanatics who today run that country to slow up their nuclear weapons programme one iota,' he said. 'The Iranian regime must hear a message from us and we must state it loud and clear: either you peacefully negotiate an end to your illicit nuclear activities or they will be ended for you by military attack.' | |
| The audience liked what it heard but it liked Ireland – the former model turned designer and CEO – better as she declared herself a 'very proud pro-Israel American'. | |
| 'Israel is not only a Jewish value, it is a cherished American value,' she said. | |
| 10.20am: Tom McCarthy in New York here. Good morning and welcome to our live blog coverage of today's delicate diplomatic two-step between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama. The two leaders are scheduled to meet at the White House in about a half hour. Then Netanyahu is scheduled to address the Aipac conference at 9pm ET tonight. We'll be live blogging the developments throughout the day and then bringing you Aipac coverage including the prime minister's speech. Here's a quick summary of where things stand: | 10.20am: Tom McCarthy in New York here. Good morning and welcome to our live blog coverage of today's delicate diplomatic two-step between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama. The two leaders are scheduled to meet at the White House in about a half hour. Then Netanyahu is scheduled to address the Aipac conference at 9pm ET tonight. We'll be live blogging the developments throughout the day and then bringing you Aipac coverage including the prime minister's speech. Here's a quick summary of where things stand: |
| • This morning's Obama-Netanyahu meeting will be closely assessed – in retrospect; the meeting itself is behind closed doors – for any signs of new tension between the leaders. In his speech to Aipac yesterday President Obama criticized "loose talk of war" on Iran as actually helping the Islamic Republic by driving up oil prices. That could be taken as a direct criticism of Netanyahu, who has led the rhetorical charge on Iran. | • This morning's Obama-Netanyahu meeting will be closely assessed – in retrospect; the meeting itself is behind closed doors – for any signs of new tension between the leaders. In his speech to Aipac yesterday President Obama criticized "loose talk of war" on Iran as actually helping the Islamic Republic by driving up oil prices. That could be taken as a direct criticism of Netanyahu, who has led the rhetorical charge on Iran. |
| • About that speech. Netanyahu came to Washington this week looking for new, stronger rhetoric from the president about the U.S. willingness to participate in a military strike on Iran's nuclear program. Such rhetoric was notably absent from Obama's Aipac speech, although he did reassert the American commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Will Netanyahu leave Washington empty-handed? | • About that speech. Netanyahu came to Washington this week looking for new, stronger rhetoric from the president about the U.S. willingness to participate in a military strike on Iran's nuclear program. Such rhetoric was notably absent from Obama's Aipac speech, although he did reassert the American commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Will Netanyahu leave Washington empty-handed? |
| • In the not-too-distant background is the presidential race and how an Israeli strike on Iran could change everything. If Netanyahu decides he doesn't need Obama to hit Iran – or that the threat to Israel is too great to wait – then all bets suddenly are off. What if instead of Mitt Romney the president suddenly faces a reelection fight involving a new war in the Middle East, expensive gas, U.S. casualties and a new economic dive – plus Mitt Romney (or Rick Santorum)? Netanyahu knows that Obama knows that Netanyahu knows this. | • In the not-too-distant background is the presidential race and how an Israeli strike on Iran could change everything. If Netanyahu decides he doesn't need Obama to hit Iran – or that the threat to Israel is too great to wait – then all bets suddenly are off. What if instead of Mitt Romney the president suddenly faces a reelection fight involving a new war in the Middle East, expensive gas, U.S. casualties and a new economic dive – plus Mitt Romney (or Rick Santorum)? Netanyahu knows that Obama knows that Netanyahu knows this. |