NBC’s Chuck Todd: “Odd” That Obama Won’t Meet Foreign Leaders Given Crisis

NBC’s Chuck Todd: Obama’s Decision To Avoid Controversy By Not Scheduling Bilateral Meetings During The U.N. General Assembly Is “Odd” Given The Current Crises In The Middle East. NBC’S CHUCK TODD: “Meanwhile, today the president comes to New York for the United Nations General Assembly where he delivers his speech tomorrow but won’t have a single one-on-one meeting with a world leader on his schedule. Not anybody. This is about a do-no-harm trip and his aides don’t want any unexpected news. Republicans are already making hay of the president making time to tape the View today. He will also deliver a speech at the Clinton Global Initiative. Obama campaign senior advisor Robert Gibbs was pushed about this schedule on Fox News.” OBAMA CAMPAIGN ADVISOR ROBERT GIBBS: “We have schedules. Leaders have schedules. In many cases those schedules aren’t going to overlap.” FOX NEWS’ CHRIS WALLACE: “But he has time for Whoopi Goldberg but he doesn’t have time for world leaders?” GIBBS: “No, Chris look, the president is going to be actively involved at the U.N. General Assembly.” TODD: “The White House also argues that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice will hold meetings. But folks it is odd to have a president come to the United Nations and not have any bilaterals. Granted it is a campaign year, but still odd considering what’s going on in the Middle East.” (MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown,” 9/24/12)

The “Strongest U.S. Sanctions To Date” Have A Few Loopholes

The Words:

Obama: “We’re Going To Keep Up The Pressure, With The Strongest U.S. Sanctions To Date And The European Union Preparing To Impose An Embargo On Iranian Oil.” PRESIDENT OBAMA: “We are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.  We believe there is still time and space to pursue a diplomatic solution, and we’re going to keep coordinating closely with our P5-plus-1 partners.  At the same time, we’re going to keep up the pressure, with the strongest U.S. sanctions to date and the European Union preparing to impose an embargo on Iranian oil.  Tehran must understand that it cannot escape or evade the choice before it – meet your international obligations or face the consequences.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At A Joint Press Conference With U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, Washington, DC, 3/14/12)

The Reality:

The Wall Street Journal: “Thanks To Lobbying By The Obama Administration, The Sanctions Law Contained Several Loopholes You Could Drive A Warhead Through.” “This is possible because, thanks to lobbying by the Obama Administration, the sanctions law contained several loopholes you could drive a warhead through. One provided that if a country ‘significantly reduced’ its oil imports from Iran, the State Department could exempt it from sanctions for a renewable period of six months. Naturally, the definition of a significant reduction was left to the Administration’s discretion. As of last week, we know that its definition is trifling: India earned a free pass after merely pledging to cut its Iran imports by 11%, and Japan earned one after cutting 22% of its Iranian business in 2011. Then there’s China, the Islamic Republic’s biggest customer, which is now exempt after cutting Iran imports by 25% between January and May (measured year-over-year).” (Editorial, “Obama’s Iran Loopholes,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/2/12)

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