John Kerry: Up to Saudi Arabia to decide if women should be allowed to drive

[karynnj]

163. N they don't think that sanctions will improve the relationship with Iran

They were punishments and they were because the US and other powers wanted to get them to not become a nuclear nation. Read some of the hearings etc - the alternative that the neo-cons pushed was war. Sanctions only work if they are international. There is no way that the rest of the world would consider sanctions over this. ( In fact, with a different country, a possible response could be a consumer boycott. Boycotting SA consumer goods and travel is not possible as they are almost non existent.)

Here, Obama and probably the entire national security team want SA to not oppose us in the Middle East. Look at what Obama cited as his goals as the UN.

1) Find a diplomatic path with Iran - to end the almost a decade of being near a war.
2) Israel/Palestine
3) Find a diplomatic path for Syria

Note that 1 and 3 differ 180 degrees with the neo-cons and note that IF Obama succeeds, there is the possibility of really stopping the neo con agenda.

Each one of these goals is a tough challenge - but each is worth working as hard and as well as they can for succeeding. Do you think that adding to the difficulty of doing this to make a rhetorical statement in SA would be a good idea? (Not to mention, a rhetorical statement by ANY US SoS would if anything have hurt the women's movement in SA.)