World must stop Iran going nuclear, says Obama 23/07/2008 - 20:01:30
The world must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said today.
Mr Obama said a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a “grave threat” and would mark a “game-changing situation not only in the Middle East but around the world”.
A nuclear-armed Iran would pose a threat to both Israel and the United States, he said.
The 46-year-old Illinois senator was speaking at a press conference in Sderot, an Israeli city near the Gaza border that is a frequent target of rocket attacks from Palestinian militants.
Bloody disputes between Israel and the Palestinians have defied the peace-keeping efforts of US presidents for decades, and Mr Obama waded into the situation today in a bid to boost his standing among Israeli Jews, who tend to favour his Republican rival John McCain.
He said a peace deal with the Palestinians was in Israel’s interest.
Mr Obama said: “America must always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself against those who threaten its people.”
Standing before a large display of spent rockets fired into Sderot by Hamas militants who control the Gaza Strip, he talked about the threat posed by Iran, Israel’s most dangerous enemy, and reiterated his plan to start talks with the Iranians.
“A nuclear Iran would pose a grave threat and the world must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he said.
“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.
“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 mobilise the international community to ratchet up the pressure on Iran.”
Earlier, he toured the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial on a Jerusalem hillside and said: “Ultimately, this is a place of hope.”
Hope and change have been key themes in Mr Obama’s presidential campaign this year.
He also had breakfast with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak and met Israeli President Shimon Peres.
“I’m here on this trip to reaffirm the special relationship between Israel and the United States and my abiding commitment to Israel’s security,” Mr Obama said during the meeting with Mr Peres.
Mr Obama also held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
After the hour-long meeting with Mr Abbas, aide Saeb Erekat told reporters that Mr Obama was willing to engage immediately in the protracted conflict.
“Obama confirmed to President Abbas that he will be a constructive partner in the peace process,” Mr Erekat said.
He added that Mr Obama told Mr Abbas he would “not waste a minute” if elected.
Mr Obama will now leave Israel for Germany, after having already visited Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait on a high-profile overseas trip designed to boost his foreign police credentials.
He is set to briefly meet British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Tory leader David Cameron in London on his way back to the US on Saturday.
The extraordinary media attention given to Mr Obama’s trip has left Mr McCain battling for a share of the campaign spotlight, but it was the Arizona senator who virtually challenged Mr Obama to travel to Iraq to seek the views of US General David Petraeus and the Iraqi government before calling for a troop withdrawal deadline.
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The world must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said today.
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