Obama: I'm Seeking Iran Sanctions "Within Weeks"
CBS
Following a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy Tuesday, President Obama said he is seeking to have sanctions against Iran in place this spring -- and that ideally the United Nations sanctions regime would be in place "within weeks."
"Do we have unanimity in the international community? Not yet," said the president. "And that's something we need to work on."
Still, he said, the situation is better than it was one year ago, when the White House began reaching out to Iran through what Mr. Obama described as a "very clear" diplomatic approach that was "an open book to the world."
The president said that some countries had been resistant to sanctions because Iran is an oil-producing country, and said that for those countries, "their commercial interests are more important to them than these long term geopolitical interests."
But he said the United States was committed to sanctions unless Iran changes course, and that the country was "working diligently with our international partners" to achieve them.
"The long term consequences of a nuclear armed Iran are unacceptable," he said, adding that a nuclear-arms race in the Middle East could have severe negative consequences.
Sarkozy, speaking after Mr. Obama, added that "Iran cannot continue its mad race" toward nuclear weapons.
Mr. Obama had originally set a deadline of the end of last year for sanctions.
Mr. Obama said he and Sarkozy "reaffirmed the enduring ties" between their two countries in their meeting before the remarks, and that they discussed financial regulatory reform, climate change, "rejecting protectionism" and other issues.
On the effort to keep Iran from gaining nuclear weapons, Mr. Obama said the two men were "united" and "inseparable."
"When it comes to America's oldest ally, we've never been closer," said the president.
There was no discussion at the press availability of Mr. Obama requesting that Sarkozy deploy more troops to Afghanistan, a possibility that had been widely discussed in the days before the meeting.
Sarkozy did address Afghanistan, saying the French support Mr. Obama's strategy there and adding that "we cannot afford to lose -- not for us, not for the people of Afghanistan, who deserve to live in freedom."
"What we are fighting for is world security, quite simply," he added.
France currently has 3,750 soldiers in Afghanistan, and the Obama administration had anticipated that the country would add hundreds more in conjunction with the U.S. increase in forces announced in December. Thus far, France has only said it would send 80 additional military trainers.
Mr. Obama and Sarkozy are scheduled to have dinner together Tuesday night, along with their wives.
Earlier in the day, Sarkozy met with Democratic Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In a speech at Columbia University Monday night, Sarkozy weighed in on the health care reform debate that recently wrapped up in the United States.
"The very fact that there should have been such a violent debate simply on the fact that the poorest of Americans should not be left out in the streets without a cent to look after them ... is something astonishing to us," he said, according to the Associated Press.
Added Sarkozy: "Welcome to the club of states who don't turn their back on the sick and the poor."
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Iran is only building a power plant because the US sanctioned them for over 30 years after the hostage crisis. They were not allowed to develop their refining capacity because of this and now their energy needs exceed their production.
Iran has singed the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty, Israel has not! Israel is the problem in the middle east and if she was held to the same standards everyone is holding Iran to, there would be no issues and no wars or needless loss of life.
i am simply challenging you to redirect your angst into something positive...and i cany believe that you cannot come up with some contribution to society...in the past 5-10 years...ever? come on...we only get one shot at this...you are going to be remembered for whining on the internet?!?"
I've given you something positive, imposter. Can't read, or just don't want to?
What "positive" is your misrepresenting me achieving? First off, it's lying, which your type sees as a sin. Secondly, it's cowardly at best. Are those the examples you are "contributing" to society?
Grow up and use your own screen name. Can you take THAT challenge?
I'm planning on watching zombie movies in celebration of Easter. What do you have planned?
Grow up.
I don't think all of them are savages, just some of their fractions are more radical then others and interpet their Koran differently."
Agreed, retm-w.
Extremists are always a problem, no matter what the religion.
Heck, the Bible says the same type of things.... in Deuteronomy, it says to kill any unbeliever and his entire village, including the animals. (That's one of the reasons many Christians distance themselves from the Old Testament.)
Oh, I forgot - the President was working on health care.
Our economy has been in the toilet since just before he took office, but the President has done nothing to help.
Oh, I forgot - the President was working on health care.
Unemployment has been outrageously high for over a year. The President said that he would keep it from rising about 8%, but so much for that.
Oh, I forgot - the President was working on health care.
He was working on cramming a health care bill that the majority of Americans are against. Americans were asking Washington to help bring down the cost of health care, but instead Washington took this as an opportunity to fatten itself at our expense. This bill will cause premiums to go up dramatically, and the higher taxes will result in our standard of living going down. Washington turned a deaf ear to the majority of Americans, and we will have an opportunity to set things straight come November.
I hope his on the job training for the Presidency sinks in quickly, or we are headed for a disaster.
I'm no fan of politicians, but the prez didn't promise anything about 8%, although his advisers did.
I promise the sky isn't falling, Chicken Little. We're America, and if Wall Street is any gauge, we're already bouncing back.
.
It takes our money with one hand while it flips us the bird with the other.
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Israel needs us more then we need them. If Israel thinks they can take Iran on their own, let them have at it.