Obama Talks Tough On Iceland?

"Y'all be scared now,
Iceland. I got my
'tough guy' face on!"

Mid-September, US President Barack Obama spoke.
Did it make any difference?
"Iceland's actions threaten the conservation status of an endangered species and undermine multilateral efforts to ensure greater worldwide protection for whales," Obama said to Congress. "Iceland's increased commercial whaling and recent trade in whale products diminish the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) conservation programme."
After a strong campaign by environmental groups, US Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke certified Iceland under a domestic law, the Pelly Amendment, that allows retaliation against nations that flout the IWC moratorium. Obama then agreed on diplomatic action to try to put an end to whaling in Iceland, which would reduce relations between the two countries.
However, trade sanctions would not be implemented. So what else is there – torpedo their whaling vessels? Nupe, something tougher! Obama directed government officials to go to Iceland...and have a talk to them about it. Hmmmmm, highly effective...
In reply, Iceland‘s Minister for the Environment said Iceland’s whaling was hardly sustainable, adding that revenue generated from whaling and the export of whale products deliver little to the national economy (minke whales are currently being hunted for commercial reasons in Iceland but no fin whales will be caught this season).
So, Minister, if your whaling generates so little income for you (or should I say, for one man Kristjan Loftsson, the fisheries magnate), yet has generated so much global negativity towards Iceland...why the hell do you keep doing it?
PS: 31 Oct.2011 - US suffers erectile dysfunction over Iceland...