White House: No agreement now to meet with Iran
WASHINGTON The White House says it is prepared to talk one-on-one with Iran to find a diplomatic settlement to the impasse over Tehran's reported pursuit of nuclear weapons, but there's no agreement now to meet.
National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said Saturday that President Barack Obama has made clear that he will prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and will do whatever's necessary to prevent that from happening. Vietor said Iran must come in line with its obligations, or else faced increased pressure.
"The onus is on the Iranians to do so, otherwise they will continue to face crippling sanctions and increased pressure," Vietor's statement said.
Iran has been a recurring issue in the presidential election. The New York Times reported that the U.S. and Iran have agreed for the first time to negotiations. The paper said Iran has insisted the talks wait until after the Nov. 6 election.
Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will meet Monday night in a debate focusing on foreign policy.
Despite unprecedented global penalties, Iran's nuclear program is advancing. Western nations fear the Islamic republic is determined to develop nuclear weapons and fundamentally reshape the balance of power in the Middle East. That would pose a grave threat to Israel. Iran says its program is for peaceful energy and research purposes.
Obama has said he'll prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He hopes sanctions alongside negotiations can get Iran to halt uranium enrichment. But the strategy hasn't worked yet. Obama holds out the threat of military action as a last resort.
Romney has accused Obama of being weak on Iran. He says the U.S. needs to present a greater military threat.
Popular on CBSNews.com
- 2 men from diverted Pakistani flight into U.K. arrested
- Toronto mayor: I don't smoke crack cocaine
- Graphic video: Man dead in "truly shocking" London attack Play Video
- Photos of the week 22 Photos
- Bangladesh slum life 13 Photos
- Muslim hard-liners ID suspect in London attack
- Former sex slaves: Osaka mayor should quit
- U.K. official: London attack suspects probed before
I certainly do not want war!
-----------
Your other words betray you.
Nobody wants another war!
---------
YOU do.
----------
Iran is not our problem. Let Israel deal with it, pay for it, and let their troops die, rather than asking us to do that for them.
And if Israel won't handle it on its own, and it's a real problem, then other countries in the region can handle it. The Middle East has plenty of money and troops.
Look at Reagan's reaction to the Beirut Marine barracks bombing.
Jews against Zionism. A site well worth reading.
,,,OBOZO won't sell out Israel unless he's re-elected and has "more flexibility." Then what he'll do to one of America's best allies will be worse then than a mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv.
---------------
Romney plans on making his first State visit to ISRAEL, of all undeserving places.
He's willing to bend the US over for their sake, ignoring our own interests in the meantime.
There's a reason he wants to give the military $2 TRILLION they didn't askf for and which we don't have.
.
----------
That's what makes you a raging liberal.
WWIII? Are you one of those clowns praying for the "End Times"???
---------
Not in the least. And Netanyahu has been saying this about Iran since 1992 - TWENTY YEARS!
Israel is the only country in the region with nukes. Another country with nukes would create a M.A.D. scenario, which would balance peace, as it did between the US and USSR.
Seriously, Chuckles, and I don't mean to sound mean, but you simply aren't very bright, aren't familiar with history, or both.
.
Do you have something wrong with admitting you're female, Chuck? Another female poster pointed that out yesterday, and you dodged.
This is why we need people like Obama and not Romney in the big chair - because Obama would only go to war (or use weapons of mass destruction) when EVERY OTHER option had failed. Romney would go to war as the FIRST option.
The fact that you are willing to drive us broke makes you a huuuuge liberal.
Romney talking about increasing military spending with the National Debt Clock running in the background.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89BXyOlcYY0
They are clearly showing everyone that they are unfit to govern this country.
We need to re-hire Obama and fire the entire lyin'-Ryan, Shifty-Mitty GOP.
P.s. Note all the hysterical anti-Mulim tirades that will appear on this blog. Then you will see good reasons for my advice.
Fanatics don't CARE what we think, and they don't CARE who is President, they are going to do whatever they are going to do anyway. The only thing they respond to is implacable action, which is exactly what Obama has been doing.