White House: 'Death To America' Comments in Iran Only Meant For 'Domestic Audience'

US Conservative · Mar 24, 2015

CNN is reporting tonight that the White House considers the "Of course, death to America" comments made by Iran’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as merely statements "intended for a domestic political audience."

That clueless take would be headline news everywhere right now if this were a Republican or conservative administration. The National Journal's John Kraushaar's tweet reporting that statement, and one reaction to it, follow the jump:

- See more at: White House: 'Death To America' Comments in Iran Only Meant For 'Domestic Audience'

So the Supreme Leaders words were only intended for a domestic audience-that makes it soooo much better.
But Bibi's words to his own domestic audience? Time for the UN to get involved.

Obama is asking us to believe Iran on a nuke deal, but not believe the "Death to America" comments. :doh

Someone explain to me why saying death to America was for domestic consumption is a good thing, please-it certainly does not seem that way.

AJiveMan · Mar 24, 2015

Re: White House: 'Death To America' Comments in Iran Only Meant For 'Domestic Audienc

I'll wait for the GOP controlled congress to express outrage first. :lamo

OrphanSlug · Mar 24, 2015

Re: White House: 'Death To America' Comments in Iran Only Meant For 'Domestic Audienc

This is all window dressing anyway.

You would think that Khamenei is either bipolar or has multiple personality disorder given the wild changes in his tone from day to day. First he was for negotiations with the US, later he called them fraud and US bullying. Him saying "Death to America" is no real shock, but I agree it is a bit silly for the Obama Administration to dust it all off as nothing more than "Domestic Audience" theater.

The thing is when looking at the total speech that Khamenei gave, there is some accuracy to parts of it. We are in fact putting economic pressure on on the people of Iran, and it is a bottom up type of pressure designed to pit the people of Iran against their leadership. Khamenei knows this all to well and there is nothing we should be hiding behind, as that is our effort with sanctions. Force changes by harming the people, in this case economically. We have to own that part, and in historical context that sort of action leads to resentment.

But all of this does speak well as to how ignorant the Administration is acting with the assumption that any deal will be carried through and can be trusted. I do disagree with the UN comment, that useless organization has become nothing more than a large group of hypocritical bickering politicians with dubious intentions. There is nothing good about Khamenei's comments, the administration dismissing them is a showing of weakness.

I renew what I have been saying in other threads on the subject, as we have gone too far down this road for ideology alone. We should walk away. Seems to me the only way to obtain any understanding with any nation in the middle east these days is enticement into a deal, bottom up punishment forced deals simply do not work.

US Conservative · Mar 24, 2015