Statement of Senator Barack Obama on Additional Sanctions on Iran
Chicago, IL | March 04, 2008
"I welcome the UN Security Council's decision to increase
international pressure on Iran because of its continued defiance of
the international community and its illicit nuclear program. However,
like its two predecessors, this resolution represents a lowest common
denominator because Russia and China did not agree to tougher
sanctions.
Iran's nuclear ambitions pose a serious threat to the United States,
to our ally Israel and to international security. We urgently need to
pursue a strategy of aggressive diplomacy that includes direct
discussions with Iran in which we lay out clear terms, with
disincentives and incentives tied to Iran's actions. If Iran
continues its defiance of the international community, we should work
for tougher sanctions - within and outside of the UN - to ratchet up
economic pressure on Iran, while also strengthening unilateral
measures like divestment. One step that we can take right now to
increase pressure on the Iranian regime is for the Senate to pass my
Iran Sanctions Enabling Act [cf.
divest their pension funds from Iran. If Iran verifiably abandons its
nuclear program and support for terrorism, we should consider
economic incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization
and political incentives like full diplomatic relations. Throughout
any diplomatic strategy, we should keep all options on the table,
while avoiding any unnecessary saber rattling."
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Obama says U.S. should not meet with Hamas
Mon Mar 3, 2008 4:54pm EST
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, March 3 (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. presidential
candidate Barack Obama on Monday backed the Bush administration's
policy of shunning contact with the Islamic militants of Hamas in its
Middle East peace diplomacy.
The Illinois senator has said he would break with President George W.
Bush's stance of declining to talk to some other international
adversaries but that stance does not apply to Hamas, which controls
the Gaza Strip and is committed to the destruction of Israel.
Obama has said in the past he would be willing to meet with leaders
with whom the Bush administration strongly disagrees, including
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Cuban leader Raul Castro.
Obama, hoping to win his party's nomination to face likely Republican
nominee Sen. John McCain in the November presidential election, said
his willingness to meet with foes "does not include Hamas."
"You can't negotiate with somebody who does not recognize the right
of a country to exist so I understand why Israel doesn't meet with
Hamas," Obama told reporters during a campaign stop in San Antonio,
Texas.
Iran does not recognize Israel either and its president has often
threatened the imminent destruction of the Jewish state, drawing
criticism from the West which fears Iran wants to make nuclear bombs
that could threaten the region.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice left for the Middle East on
Monday to try to salvage U.S.-sponsored peace talks derailed by Hamas
rocket attacks on Israeli towns and Israel's military response in Gaza.
"I do think it is important to us to try to jump-start the peace
process," Obama said. "It has been under enormous strain of
late." (Writing by Caren Bohan; Editing by Alan Elsner)
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