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"Those folks don't have a lot of responsibilities," Obama said. "They are not commander in chief." Tension with Iran, and Obama's preference for restraint, dominated his first full news conference of the year, held on the same day that Republican Super Tuesday voting was drawing attention as well. He said it is his belief that there is still a "window of opportunity" to use diplomacy instead of military force to resolve the dispute the over Iran's nuclear program in the Middle East. On politics, Obama said that higher gasoline prices as a result of Mideast worries would be a bad idea for any president running for re-election, and he also said he was working to expand America's energy base.
He called violence in Syria "heartbreaking" but showed no willingness for military involvement in that Mideast country. Obama said his critics are forgetting the "cost of war" in their rush to punish Iran and defend Israel, which sees a nuclear Iran as a mortal threat in its Mideast neighborhood. Rhetoric on the right is "more about politics than about trying to solve a difficult problem," Obama said. He said he is focused on "crippling sanctions" already imposed on Iran and on international pressure to keep that nation from developing a nuclear weapon. Obama said his private meetings with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu this week carried the same message as his public pronouncements. And he implied that Israeli pressure for urgent action was not supported by the facts, saying that a decision was not necessary within the next weeks or months.
In White House talks on Monday, Obama appealed to Netanyahu for more time for international sanctions and diplomacy to work. Obama has insisted that military options remain on the table if other means fail to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu told Obama that Israel has not made any decision on striking Iran. But Netanyahu also gave no sign of backing away from possible military action. "Historically, we have always cooperated with Israel with respect to the defense of Israel.... We're going to continue that unprecedented security commitment," Obama said. The president told reporters, "The security of Israel is something I deeply care about."
He added that Iranians need to show how serious they are about resolving the crisis. He said there are steps the Iranians can take "that are verifiable" and will allow it to be "in compliance with international norms and mandates." Iran said on Tuesday it would let U.N. nuclear inspectors visit a military site where they have been repeatedly refused access to check intelligence suggesting explosives tests relevant to atom bombs has been conducted there. Diplomats, however, cited a proviso in the Iranian statement saying that access to the Parchin site still hinged on a broader agreement on how to settle outstanding issues which the two sides have been unable to reach for five years.
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Hussein O'Bama lies, his feet stink and he don't love Jesus. 'Nuff said.Obama says he cares 'deeply' about Israeli security...
Obama accuses GOP critics of 'beating the drums of war' in Mideast
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama declared Tuesday that diplomacy can still resolve the crisis over Iran's possible pursuit of nuclear weapons, and he accused his Republican critics of "beating the drums of war."
"Those folks don't have a lot of responsibilities," Obama said. "They are not commander in chief." Tension with Iran, and Obama's preference for restraint, dominated his first full news conference of the year, held on the same day that Republican Super Tuesday voting was drawing attention as well. He said it is his belief that there is still a "window of opportunity" to use diplomacy instead of military force to resolve the dispute the over Iran's nuclear program in the Middle East. On politics, Obama said that higher gasoline prices as a result of Mideast worries would be a bad idea for any president running for re-election, and he also said he was working to expand America's energy base.
He called violence in Syria "heartbreaking" but showed no willingness for military involvement in that Mideast country. Obama said his critics are forgetting the "cost of war" in their rush to punish Iran and defend Israel, which sees a nuclear Iran as a mortal threat in its Mideast neighborhood. Rhetoric on the right is "more about politics than about trying to solve a difficult problem," Obama said. He said he is focused on "crippling sanctions" already imposed on Iran and on international pressure to keep that nation from developing a nuclear weapon. Obama said his private meetings with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu this week carried the same message as his public pronouncements. And he implied that Israeli pressure for urgent action was not supported by the facts, saying that a decision was not necessary within the next weeks or months.
In White House talks on Monday, Obama appealed to Netanyahu for more time for international sanctions and diplomacy to work. Obama has insisted that military options remain on the table if other means fail to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu told Obama that Israel has not made any decision on striking Iran. But Netanyahu also gave no sign of backing away from possible military action. "Historically, we have always cooperated with Israel with respect to the defense of Israel.... We're going to continue that unprecedented security commitment," Obama said. The president told reporters, "The security of Israel is something I deeply care about."
He added that Iranians need to show how serious they are about resolving the crisis. He said there are steps the Iranians can take "that are verifiable" and will allow it to be "in compliance with international norms and mandates." Iran said on Tuesday it would let U.N. nuclear inspectors visit a military site where they have been repeatedly refused access to check intelligence suggesting explosives tests relevant to atom bombs has been conducted there. Diplomats, however, cited a proviso in the Iranian statement saying that access to the Parchin site still hinged on a broader agreement on how to settle outstanding issues which the two sides have been unable to reach for five years.
MORE