Barack Obama took the wind off the sails of American bashers when he avoided coming down hard on the Iranian regime for the conduct of the presidential election and the crackdown on an estimated one million protestors who came out on to the streets of Tehran setting up fires and bashing windows.

It had been the biggest demonstration in Iran after the Islamic Revolution 30 years ago and it would have been expected for the US President to come out lashing against the Iranian government for its acts but Obama desisted.

When embarrassing riots of this nature occur it is also the standard practice of American and other Western bashers to accuse America of staging a CIA plot as they did to oust the legally elected Prime Minister Mossadeq from power in1953 and install the Shah on the Peacock Throne. But this time even though mumblings of an American conspiracy were heard they were few though widespread such as from Islamic supporters stretching from Slave Island in Colombo to Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.

What would have been galling to Iranian and Islamic supporters is the fact that there can be no denial of violent political confrontation developing in Iran and also the emergence of a deep political divide despite the rigidly held republic by Mullah Power.

Presidential elections were held on June 12  where the announcement of the results were made all too quickly and also the massive 63 per cent of the vote by the incumbent President Ahmadinejad resulted in serious allegations of vote rigging and riots. Obama’s cool and apparently well measured comments came only on June 15.

He said he was ‘deeply troubled’ by the violence he had seen on television. Since there were no international observers at the elections he could not say definitely what had happened. Besides it was up to the Iranians to decide on their leaders.

Such a situation would have made Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush come out firing all guns and tongue lashing the Iranian regime that the Americans have intensely hated for 30 years but Obama acted differently. Even during his election campaign he had spelled out that his policy in dealing with Iran will be through diplomacy.

In his much acclaimed speech at the Cairo University recently where he spoke of bringing about better understanding between the United States and the Islamic world he stressed on this point when speaking on Iran. Had Obama lashed out at Iran he would no doubt have made the Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Khameini immensely popular as well as  add on to the popularity of Ahmadinejad for standing up to the might and power of the Americans.

Lanka is different

However it has to be pointed out that the same presidential sagacity did not extend to Sri Lanka in its attempts to curb terrorism. America, particularly Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and its European allies were pressurising Sri Lanka to call off its military offensive against the terrorists at the point of their extinction and to hold negotiations.

The Americans and their allies did not by their concern for humanitarian considerations help the terrorists but instead sent President Mahinda Rajapakse’s standing among Sinhalese rocketing up for standing up to the mightiest power on earth! Perhaps Sri Lanka with only its tea, rubber, coconuts and housemaids does not register on the political radar screen in Washington as prominently as the country with the fourth largest reserves of oil in the world.

Barack Obama risked the ire of American conservatives for treating ‘Iranian nuclear terrorists’ with kid gloves. However last week Obama’s rhetoric toughened up. He on Tuesday condemned violence against protestors and said that he was appalled and outraged by deaths on the streets and intimidation on the streets in Tehran. ‘Those responsible will have to face the consequences.’ Asked at a press conference on what action he would take he remained non committal.

Acid test

Post Iranian election protests have put Obama diplomacy to a severe test. Iran is a key to problems of the Middle East being supporters of Hisbollah in Syria and Lebanon, and Hamas in the Gaza. Iran also has a strong base in Iraq with its influence among Shiites in Iraq. These two forces have a direct impact on the resolution of the Palestinian issue with threats posed to Israel. 

This month Obama achieved some degree of success by getting Netanyahu, the new Israeli prime minister to agree to a two state solution for the Palestinians although there is still a very long way to go. It does appear that he would like to keep clear of Iran although back home he would be accused of treating nuclear terrorists with kid gloves.