INTRIGUING - AT 9:41 A.M. ET:  There's been substantial buzz about Joe Biden's implied "green light" for Israel to launch an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.  Of course, he didn't put it that directly in a TV interview over the weekend.  He simply said that we could not prevent another country from doing what it felt it had to do in its own defense.  But the message got through.

Now President Obama is hotly denying that we gave any such green light.  Or is he?  His statement, made in Moscow and reported by the Jerusalem Post, actually adds to the intrigue:

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday strongly denied that the United States had given Israel an approval to strike Iran's nuclear facilities.

Asked by CNN whether Washington had given Israel a green light for such an attack, Obama answered: "Absolutely not."

But there was a caveat.  Consider:

In the interview, which was broadcast from Russia, where Obama is on an official visit, he added: "We can't dictate to other countries what their security interests are.

"What is also true is, it is the policy of the United States to try to resolve the issue of Iran's nuclear capabilities," Obama said.

COMMENT:   Ah.  No green light, but we can't dictate to other countries "what their security interests are."  And it's our policy to "try" to to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue.

Actually, Obama said pretty much what Biden said. 

Of course, we'll never admit to giving a green light, but I do detect a splash of green amidst the yellow.

July 7, 2009