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Sunday, August 12, 2012

Obama to lunch with Ahmadinejad?

As part of the opening of the United Nations General Assembly, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has invited President Obama to lunch on September 25 with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsy and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Will Obama accept (Hat Tip: MFS - The Other Side)?
Egypt’s new president will meet with his Iranian counterpart at next month’s U.N. General Assembly in New York, diplomatic sources say.

In addition, U.N. General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon has invited President Obama to join Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a VIP lunch on Sept. 25, the opening day of the General Assembly,

The Washington Times has obtained a list of diplomats and leaders who are expected to attend: [The list apparently relates to the General Assembly as a whole and not to the VIP lunch. CiJ]

...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend but will send Defense Minister Ehud Barak in his stead. Both have criticized international diplomatic efforts regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

The Israeli leaders have been mulling a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, which they fear have been developing atomic weapons for use against the Jewish state. Iran repeatedly has said its nuclear program is geared toward peaceful purposes, but has refused to cooperate with international inspectors.

The U.S. and other Western nations have urged Israel to allow sanctions on Iran’s oil industry more time to change the behavior of the Islamic republic’s leaders.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to pursue statehood recognition for his people when he addresses the assembly on Sept. 29. Though not a member of the U.N., Mr. Abbas is being treated as an unofficial leader of a de facto state.

The U.S. and Israel strongly oppose the Palestinian strategy, insisting that only direct negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders can resolve their differences and achieve a two-state solution.
What could go wrong?

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