SDEROT, Israel, July 23, 2008
Obama Defends His Iran Approach
Democrat Says He'd Use "Big Sticks And Big Carrots" In Nuclear Talks
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Play CBS Video Video Obama's Big Day In Israel Sen. Barack Obama continues his oversees tour with a campaign-crucial day of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Sheila MacVicar reports.
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Video Eye To Eye: Barack Obama "Only On The Web": In an exclusive "CBS Evening News" interview, Katie Couric speaks with Barack Obama about his foreign policy objectives and his position on the war in Iraq.
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Video Eye To Eye: McCain On Mideast John McCain talks about his plans for Iraq and Afghanistan and sharply criticizes Barack Obama's understanding of the war on the terror. McCain also addresses criticism of favoritism in the media.
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Photo Essay Obama in the Mideast Democratic presidential hopeful holds talks in Iraq, Afghanistan
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Interactive Mideast Conflict Events, key players and a history of the world's most unstable region.
"My whole goal in terms of having tough, serious direct diplomacy is not because I'm naive about the nature of any of these regimes. I'm not," Obama said at a press conference. "It is because if we show ourselves willing to talk and to offer carrots and sticks in order to deal with these pressing problems, and if Iran then rejects any overtures of that sort, it puts us in a stronger position to mobilize the international community to ratchet up the pressure on Iran."
He said a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a threat to both Israel and the United States.
The campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain quickly responded that Obama was backtracking on his expressed willingness to meet with Iran's leaders without preconditions.
A year ago, Obama was asked whether he would meet personally, without preconditions, with leaders of Iran and other hostile nations during the first year of his administration to resolve differences with the United States. Obama said he would.
On Wednesday Obama said, "I think that what I said in response was that I would at my time and choosing be willing to meet with any leader if I thought it would promote the national security interests of the United States of America. And that continues to be my position. That if I think that I can get a deal that is going to advance our cause, then I would consider that opportunity. But what I also said was that there is a difference between meeting without preconditions and meeting without preparation."
This was Obama's second press conference during his trip to Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East and Europe, part of his campaign's attempt to establish his credentials as a potential world leader. He spoke in Sderot, near the Gaza border. The city has been a frequent target of rocket attacks from Palestinian militants, and the news conference was held beside a display of the spent rockets.
Obama tried to use Wednesday's event to allay doubts about his support for Israel. Many Israelis are worried by Obama's willingness to talk to Tehran, a bitter enemy of the Jewish state. Many U.S. Jewish voters supported Obama's rival Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, and some have questioned his commitment to Israel.
Obama said it is in Israel's interest to achieve a lasting peace with the Palestinians, but he emphasized Israeli's right to defend itself. He also said that Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel, but that the issue should be settled through negotiation.
"That's an issue that has to be dealt with the parties involved, the Palestinians and the Israelis, and it is not the job of the United States to dictate the form in which that will take, but rather to support the efforts that are being made right now to resolve these very difficult issues that have a long history," Obama said.
Many Israelis are concerned that Obama - a first-term U.S. senator with little foreign policy experience - would push Israel too hard in negotiations with the Palestinians. His family's Muslim roots have added to the unease, even though Obama is a Christian.
"I bring to Sderot an unshakable commitment to Israel's security," Obama said. "The state of Israel faces determined enemies who seek its destruction. But it also has a friend and ally in the United States that will always stand by the people of Israel."
Palestinians doubt Obama or any other U.S. leader would reverse what they see as Washington's bias toward Israel.
Earlier in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Obama assured Palestinian leaders he'd get involved in the Mideast conflict quickly, a top Palestinian official said.
In his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Obama confirmed "that he will be a constructive partner in the peace process" and would not "waste a minute" if elected, Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said.
Obama plunged into the intricacies of the region's longest-running conflict with a packed schedule of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Donning a Jewish skullcap at Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, he laid a wreath of white chrysanthemums and lisianthus and lit a memorial flame. "Despite this record of monumental tragedy, this ultimately is a place of hope," he said.
CBS News anchor Katie Couric spoke exclusively Tuesday to Obama in Amman and to McCain via satellite.Click to see the full transcript of Couric's interview with Obama | Full video.
"At a time of great peril and torment, war and strife, we are blessed to have such a powerful reminder of man's potential for great evil, but also our capacity to rise up from tragedy and remake our world," he wrote in the visitors' book.
American tourists who passed by him at the memorial told him, "Remember what you see here," and he replied, "Yes, I understand, I understand," said Yad Vashem's director, Avner Shalev.
Late Wednesday, Obama met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Entering the session, Obama said his talks with Abbas indicated "there's a strong sense of progress being made" toward peace. Olmert nodded and said, "That's right."
Earlier, Obama met with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and parliamentary opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, whose Likud Party takes a hard line against the Palestinians.
Obama met with Barak and Netanyahu at Jerusalem's posh King David Hotel, where an "Israel for Obama" campaign poster was draped over an armchair in the lobby. The poster included Obama's campaign slogan - "Change you can believe in" - in Hebrew.
Obama left Abbas' headquarters without speaking to reporters. But on Tuesday, he cautioned it is "unrealistic to expect that a U.S. president alone can suddenly snap his fingers and bring about peace in this region."
His meeting with the Palestinians stands in contrast to the decision by Republican presidential hopeful John McCain to visit only Israel in March, without stopping in the West Bank.
On the road leading to Abbas' headquarters on Wednesday, police were out in full force, standing 10 yards apart and outfitted in full battle regalia, wearing camouflage uniforms, helmets and bulletproof vests and carrying truncheons and assault rifles.
Obama arrived in Israel Tuesday night from neighboring Jordan and is to leave for Germany early Thursday.
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See all 1264 CommentsPosted by perceptions5 at 07:39 AM : Jul 23, 2008
No, the horrible hoax was invading Iraq based on Bush...
Posted by luvusa at 02:00 PM : Jul 24, 2008
Dems voted for the New G.I. Bill and why didn''t McCain vote FOR it...
As candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain are ironically a lot like the way the media treats them: Obama is the glitzy magazine cover that screams for people to buy the issue, and McCain is the fact-filled article buried inside that makes you glad you did.
Posted by XmanBorg at 10:12 AM : Jul 24, 2008
Nahhhhhhh, they''''re not near as slick as Obama. Obama got your stupid vote, didn''''t he?
Posted by WellHell3 at 11:59 AM : Jul 24, 2008
WellHell3, since you are not contesting the facts enumerated by XmanBorg, what facts do you have to say Obama is slick? This is just your ... belief? You ever base your beliefs on facts? No? I thought so. The facts, you have to face them. That''s the only way to reach a sound decision, like in this election.
Posted by WellHell3 at 12:04 PM : Jul 24, 2008
Come on, you can say that just about every nation on this planet, that their people would fight for their freedom. We are not unique in this respect and thus that alone wouldn''t make us one of the greatest democracies. What would make us great would be not accepting bs from an obviously failed presidency so we can set a new course and set things right.
I''ll take two tickets please.
And as I always say, the Democrats should make it.....
PEOPLE HAVE TO APOLGIZE TO OBAMA FOR ANYTHING THEY DO OR SAY.....NEVER HAS BEEN DONE TO NO ONE ELSE WHEN THINGS ARE SAID OR DONE TO THEM IN THE NEWS.. WHEN ARE WE EVER GOING TO WAKE UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS THING WE HAVE GOTTEN INTO???????
During Mike Monsoor''''s funeral in San Diego, as his coffin was being moved from the hearse to the grave site at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, SEALs were lined up on both sides of the pallbearers route forming a column of two''''s, with the coffin moving up the center.
As Mike''''s coffin passed, each SEAL, having removed his gold Trident from his uniform, slapped it down embedding the Trident in the wooden coffin.
The slaps were audible from across the cemetery; by the time the coffin arrived grave side, it looked as though it had a gold inlay from all the Tridents pinned to it. This was a fitting send-off for a warrior hero.
This should be front-page news instead of the *** we see everyday.
Since the media won''''t make this news, I choose to make it news by forwarding it on to you.
Posted by MeanBiker
Bravo! I read that and thought the same thing. I also wondered why on June 6th, D Day, where over 6,600 of American troops were killed in one day helping liberate the world, absolutely nothing.
As you know, Robbie Knievel followed in his dad''s footsteps and is one of the greatest daredevil jumpers of our time.
At this event, he''s going to try to jump 5000 Obama supporters with a bull dozer.
Please let me know by Friday.
George W Bush and his entire Administration are the biggest and slickest snake oil salesman out there. He lied to the American Public about IRAQ, He completely jacked up FEMA and New Orleans, He personally has devalued the American Dollar by countless wastful spending and bailing out his Republin Looser croney friends.
The Gravy Train is coming to an end and all the Bushies are going to get tozzed off the train. GOOD RIDANCE TO ALL THE BUSHIES AND HIS ADMINISTRATION.
During Mike Monsoor''s funeral in San Diego, as his coffin was being moved from the hearse to the grave site at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, SEALs were lined up on both sides of the pallbearers route forming a column of two''s, with the coffin moving up the center.
As Mike''s coffin passed, each SEAL, having removed his gold Trident from his uniform, slapped it down embedding the Trident in the wooden coffin.
The slaps were audible from across the cemetery; by the time the coffin arrived grave side, it looked as though it had a gold inlay from all the Tridents pinned to it. This was a fitting send-off for a warrior hero.
This should be front-page news instead of the *** we see everyday.
Since the media won''t make this news, I choose to make it news by forwarding it on to you.
Excellent point luvusa
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