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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Obama, in Sderot: World must prevent Iran from obtaining nukes
2008-07-24
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama visited the rocket-battered southern town of Sderot on Wednesday, where he said that the entire world must act to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions. "A nuclear Iran would pose a grave threat and the world must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," Obama stated.

The Illinois senator also warned that a situation in which Iran had achieved this capability would be "game-changing."

"Not just in the Middle East, but around the world," he added. "Whatever remains of our Non-Proliferation Treaty would begin to disintegrate."

Obama vowed that as president he would not force Israel into making concessions that would put the country in danger for the sake of the peace process. "I don't think that Ms. Livni or Mr. Barak or Bibi [Opposition leader Benjamin] Netanyahu or the others, President Peres, when they spoke to me today got any sense that I would be pressuring them to accept any kinds of concession that would put their security at stake," he said in answer to a question from a journalist.

Later in the day he meet with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for dinner, at which point he told reporters that he had found among the Palestinians "a strong sense that progress is being made and honest conversations are taking place" in the peace talks. "Indeed, that's right," answered Olmert, who has pursued several diplomatic initiatives even as a corruption probe threatens to force him from office.

At the Sderot press conference, Obama said that Israel had every right to defend itself against attacks on its civilians, referring to the Qassam rockets that plagued the southern town and neighboring communities until a recent cease-fire with Gaza's Hamas rulers. "If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I would do everything in power to stop that, and would expect Israelis to do the same thing," he said.

In Gaza, Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum called Obama's remarks part of the American policy of bias toward Israel and giving legitimacy to Israeli crimes against our people.

The presidential hopeful was accompanied on his Sderot stop by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
Posted by:Fred

#15  This statement now from the guy who said that Iran poses no significant threat to us and he'd sit down to talk directly with Achmedinajad...Oh right - that was during the primary!
Posted by: Maggie Spurong6614   2008-07-24 22:38  

#14  ...where he said that the entire world must act to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions. "A nuclear Iran would pose a grave threat and the world must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,"

Sure hope the voters come to their senses and get over the "love in" with BO. This guy is not ready for prime time (or for that matter late, late night). Obama, the world is not going to do anything about a nuclear Iran other than wring their hands. Should you, God forbid get to be President, it will be up to you to figure out something. No time for naivite, conflict resolution, community organization, and timidity. Iran says they will use a nuclear capability when they get it. You will be in the catbird seat and actually have to do something. How are you going to prevent Iran from obtaining nukes? So far Iran has lied and been duplicitous while buying for time. Sanctions against Iran are working about as well as they did against Iraq under Saddam. Negotiations are going nowhere. What makes you think you are so much smarter than everyone else? What makes you think you can bring about change? As the saying goes: "Spit in one hand and hope in the other and see which fills up more quickly."
Posted by: JohnQC   2008-07-24 17:36  

#13  Choose the lesser of two evils, dear Ebbang Uluque6305. That's all that our 'first past the post' political system ever results in.

Jon Stewart of the Daily Show thoroughly mocked Candidate Obama's Tour of Duty last night, and the worshipping press trailing behind, so this is not going unnoticed where it counts.
Posted by: trailing wife   2008-07-24 15:21  

#12  I don't know how anybody can trust this guy with anything let alone Iran. I watched his interview with Charlie Gibson on ABC news last night. In fairness, it looked to me anyway like Gibson was trying to ask tough questions and had Obama tripping up a bit. The guy is nowhere near being ready for prime time. My problem is that I still don't trust McCain either. It sucks.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2008-07-24 14:26  

#11  Trailing wife, the world will accomplish this by doing nothing (or selling equipment through the Iranian back door) until the US acts, and then berating us for our militarism. That is there plan, I'm curious how long it takes Obama to figure it out.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2008-07-24 13:54  

#10  Where is this world bubbleboy is talking about? Here on Earth there is Russia, China, and Pakistan. Any word from Moyal?
Posted by: swksvolFF   2008-07-24 12:45  

#9  Obama is a master of semantics. By the World, he means the UN. Half-bright is even one of his advisors. In the Bin Ladens of Kosovo article yesterday, they touted their tolerance of Muslims and Catholics as a workable model, explaining why new mosques were dotting the landscape yet western dress and smut prevailed. An excerpt:
After the war many humanitarian organizations came here, in general from the Gulf – Kuwait, Qatar, others. We haven’t had rules, we haven’t had a government. All things have been under the U.N., so they opened the door to these kind of organizations. They operated legally. We couldn’t have control. Why? Because they have the money.
Any worldly UN solution will be the demise of the whole world.
Posted by: Danielle   2008-07-24 11:06  

#8  Don't worry, on his whirlwind tour of the Middle East and he stops by Tehran he will talk about Iran having a "right" to nuclear arms.
Posted by: DarthVader   2008-07-24 09:32  

#7  We will.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2008-07-24 07:46  

#6  If The World learned to negotiate from the same source like Corbin Dallas, then I would be all for negotiations.
Posted by: Spike Uniter   2008-07-24 07:15  

#5  negotiations.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2008-07-24 07:10  

#4  Just how, pray tell, does The World plan to accomplish this?
Posted by: trailing wife    2008-07-24 07:10  

#3  TOPIX > AHMADINEJAD: IRAN HAS THE CAPABILITY TO BECOME A SUPERPOWER; + KAGAN: ONLY WAY TO STOP IRAN ENRICHMENT IS TO ATTACK; + BREZINZKI: US ATTACK ON IRAN MEANS DISASTER WITH FOUR FRONTS, TWENTY MORE YEARS OF WAR AGZ MILITANTS.

OTOH, RIAN > Pert versus Pert > Russian MilBases in Venezuela is UNLIKELY due to lack of resources by Russ to support them, versus Russ should open a "SPY FACILITY"? in Cuba to keep track of US GMD.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-07-24 02:54  

#2  Obamarama - World will stop it with what power or will?
Posted by: 3dc   2008-07-24 01:25  

#1  FREEREPUBLIC > ISRAELNN - ISRAEL AT GREATEST THREAT/RISK TO NATIONAL SURVIVAL SINCE 1948; + IRAN-DAILY > RUSSIA TO DEPLOY NUKES IN CUBA. Unclear iff LR Bombers only, versus LR Bombers + NucWeaps; + IRGC, BASILJ READY FOR ANY EVENTUALITIES.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-07-24 01:13  

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