His statement at the G8 summit at L’Aquila, Italy, comes within days of American Vice-President Joe Biden’s remark in a television interview that his country could do nothing if Israel chose to attack Iran. In an interview with ABC News, Biden said Washington could not ‘dictate to another sovereign nation’ and that it was for Tel Aviv to decide what was in its interest. ‘Dictating’ to another country is, of course, against the basic principles of interaction among sovereign nations. But the sole superpower cannot take refuge behind this principle to shirk its responsibility and avoid action where a serious breach of international law is feared and where a recalcitrant state’s or group’s behaviour poses a threat to world peace.
The G8 summit called upon Tehran to negotiate, but thanks to Russia the conference decided not to slap further sanctions on Iran. The summiteers thus showed maturity when they gave Tehran until September to negotiate, and refused to impose another layer of sanctions on Iran.
Biden’s statement runs counter to the spirit of moderation shown by the G8 summit and to the overtures President Barack Obama has been making to the Muslim world. Obama has also exercised restraint during the West’s Iran-bashing frenzy in the aftermath of the June 12 presidential election, and he has promised a seat for Tehran at the Afghan talks.
The American vice-president’s statement, however, is fraught with consequences, for it is tantamount to giving a go-ahead for the attack. The French president perhaps pulled the rug from under Israel’s feet when he said ‘Israel should know it is not alone and should follow what is going on calmly’.