LONDON, June 2, 2009
Obama: Iran May Have Right To Nuke Energy
But President Says Tehran Must Prove Peaceful Aspirations By End Of The Year
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Play CBS Video Video Obama's Mideast Peace Trip President Obama heads to Saudi Arabia where he is expected to discuss Iran, tensions between Israel and the Palestinians and oil prices. Chip Reid reports.
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Video U.S. Policy Change For Iran In President Obama's latest speech he didn't call for Iran to stop enriching uranium, which was once a source of concern for the U.S. As Elizabeth Palmer reports, that's a change in U.S. policy.
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Video Obama Reaches Out To Iran In a sign of diplomacy, President Barack Obama taped a video message to the citizens of Iran, a nation that has strained relations with the United States. Lara Logan reports.
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(CBS/iStockphoto)
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Fast Facts Iran Learn about the people, economy and history.
In a BBC interview broadcast Tuesday, he also restated plans to pursue direct diplomacy with Tehran to encourage it set aside any ambitions for nuclear weapons it might harbor.
Iran has insisted its nuclear program is aimed at generating electricity. But the U.S. and other Western governments accuse Tehran of seeking atomic weapons.
"What I do believe is that Iran has legitimate energy concerns, legitimate aspirations," Obama said, adding that the international community also "has a very real interest" in preventing a nuclear arms race.
The president has indicated a willingness to seek deeper international sanctions against Tehran if it does not respond positively to U.S. attempts to open negotiations on its nuclear program. Obama has said Tehran has until the end of the year to show it wants to engage with Washington.
"Although I don't want to put artificial time tables on that process, we do want to make sure that, by the end of this year, we've actually seen a serious process move forward. And I think that we can measure whether or not the Iranians are serious," Obama said.
Obama's interview offered a preview of a speech he is to deliver in Egypt this week, saying he hoped the address would warm relations between Americans and Muslims abroad.
"What we want to do is open a dialogue," Obama told the BBC. "You know, there are misapprehensions about the West, on the part of the Muslim world. And, obviously, there are some big misapprehensions about the Muslim world when it comes to those of us in the West."
Obama leaves in the evening on a trip to Egypt and Saudi Arabia aimed at reaching out to the world's 1.5 billion Muslims. He is due to make his speech in Cairo on Thursday.
Obama sounded an optimistic note about making progress toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, although he offered no new ideas for how he might try to secure a freeze on new building of Israeli settlements. The United States has called for a freeze, but Israeli leaders have rejected that.
Asked what he would say during his visit about human rights abuses, including the detention of political prisoners in Egypt, Obama indicated no stern lecture would be forthcoming.
He said he hoped to deliver the message that democratic values are principles that "they can embrace and affirm."
Obama added that there is a danger "when the United States, or any country, thinks that we can simply impose these values on another country with a different history and a different culture."
© MMIX The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Add a Comment See all 92 Comments
- Title: says Iran has the right to nuke you?
Posted by mnbrant at 10:43 PM : Jun 2, 2009
Not unless 'your' name is "Energy" - Reply to this comment
- And people dont think this clown is a idiot?
- Reply to this comment
- It's time for Iran and its supporters to be scourged.
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- They may have the right, but not the need. Iran has enough natural gas for the next 200 years. That includes running all of their cars on natural gas as well.
Posted by sjc_1 at 9:50 AM : Jun 2, 2009
So does the USA!! Iran doesn't want to burn what they can sell to the Addicted countries of the World. Iran signed the Treaty and has no nukes, Israel refused to sign and they posses at least dozens. Dont you know they are Gods Chosen People and demand the world cater to them. Dont let our country fight another war for Israel.
Posted by truthseeker60 at 6:52 PM : Jun 2, 2009
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Well said. US has double standards and it's time countries like Iran stand up and ignore US. - Reply to this comment
- Iran needs to produce nuclear electricity, not MRBM with thermo-nuclear warheads. Barack Obama should authorize sale of nuclear power plant technology to Tehran. Science is meant for a peaceful purpose.
- Reply to this comment
- Title: says Iran has the right to nuke you?
- Reply to this comment
- Now the government sells a portion of GM to communist China I suppose when hyperinflation hits the country and China owns more than half of America will people then realize what a great mistake it was to put this man in power. If stupidity could ever be a crime obama would be guilty & impeached.
Posted by wdh3007 at 3:25 PM : Jun 2, 2009
A majority of Americans saw this coming and elected him anyway. Don't worry the tide will turn when BHO gets away with the 25% Value Added Tax on everything you buy. I live in Germany and work for the Americas largest employer. Germany and it has a VAT Tax along with all of the other Socialist contries here in Europe. As an American working for Americas largest employer, I am exempt from this tax, but I see what it does to my In-laws and the effect it has on their purchasing power and their standard of living. I have never been so disgusted with a choice that the country has made as I was last November. - Reply to this comment
- Question: Do you need enriched uranium to run a Nuclear Power Station?
Berry Soetoro is handing Americas Head to our enemies on a silver platter. - Reply to this comment
- They may have the right, but not the need. Iran has enough natural gas for the next 200 years. That includes running all of their cars on natural gas as well.
Posted by sjc_1 at 9:50 AM : Jun 2, 2009
So does the USA!! Iran doesn't want to burn what they can sell to the Addicted countries of the World. Iran signed the Treaty and has no nukes, Israel refused to sign and they posses at least dozens. Dont you know they are Gods Chosen People and demand the world cater to them. Dont let our country fight another war for Israel. - Reply to this comment
- No wonder Barak is making a speech in the middle east this week he has choosen sides.
Posted by oneof_many at 10:25 AM : Jun 2, 2009
GOOD! Maybe Obama has discovered just what Israel is, its intentions, and might be able to shed some light on this very dark, so called Ally. Let the games begin. God Speed USA - Reply to this comment
- Sounds like a jury of his peers.
- Reply to this comment
- If stupidity could ever be a crime obama would be guilty & impeached.
Posted by wdh3007 at 3:25 PM : Jun 2, 2009
If whining and posting nonsense were a crime, you'd be facing the death penalty! - Reply to this comment
- This week the president will go to Egypt do his pathetic little bow and apologize once again for America not being Islamic or to supportive of Israel. Then onto Germany and apologize for the allies bombing over Germany during WWII when another known socialist dictator was in power.
Now the government sells a portion of GM to communist China I suppose when hyperinflation hits the country and China owns more than half of America will people then realize what a great mistake it was to put this man in power. If stupidity could ever be a crime obama would be guilty & impeached. - Reply to this comment
- There's a caps-lock on your typewriter. Needs to be turned-off.
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- Iran should be nuked because it blocks our view of Afghanistan.
- Reply to this comment
- [You seem to forget the United States dropped atomic weapons on an aggressor nation who attacked the United States first. ]
[Posted by TPS2 at 1:43 PM : Jun 2, 2009 ]
and the us's invasion of iraq was what again? - Reply to this comment
- [Simple question,If Iran and that bunch of idiots had the weapons the USA had now do you think we would still be here? ]
[Posted by specialty8 at 12:47 PM : Jun 2, 2009]
in your black and white (good vs. evil) world everything is so simple ... and yet so wrong.
this is the reason for all the gwb admin failures ... he saw himself as the champion of good ... and anyone who didn't bow to his wishes was evil. how could he possibly be wrong if he speaks for good ... and how can anyone support all those others ... the evil.
premise is wrong ... nothing is this simple ... especially geo-political strategy ... except in the minds of simpletons. - Reply to this comment
- Iran May Have Right To Nuke Energy, but the US should reserve the right to nuke Iran.
Posted by YrSoWrong at 2:35 PM : Jun 2, 2009
Nuke Iran for what reason? - Reply to this comment
- Then the folks who sold GM to Obama were smart. They know that soon Israel will have to demolish the Iranian nuclear plants and Iran will try to close the Persian Gulf as response and there wont be oil anymore. Without oil there wont be anybody to sell cars to. Obama made a bad deal buying GM. Obama isnt a good businessman.
Posted by BaghdadsHere26 at 2:23 PM : Jun 2, 2009
Iran can't close the Persian Gulf.
They don't have the capability, and the other OPEC nation's wouldn't allow it. - Reply to this comment
- Who cares what the reason was? We wont bow to Bin Laden as Obama does to the Saudi King. Besides, looks like Osama Bin Laden paid a high price for attacking America didnt he?
Posted by BaghdadsHere26 at 2:27 PM : Jun 2, 2009
What price did he pay?!?!
Making Bush look stupid, and living his life like nothing changed?!?! - Reply to this comment
