Obama Rejects Criticism Over his Position from Iran : The US Will Not be a Tool for Other Countries to Achieve their Goals

Obama Rejects Criticism Over his Position from Iran :

The US Will Not be a Tool for Other Countries to Achieve their Goals

ccun.org, June 23, 2009

Editor's Note:

The following Reuters and Associated Press news report ignored President Obama's most important statement in his press conference today.

In response to a question about John McCain's criticism about Obama's stance on the Iranian elections issue, Obama answered that he is the President, not McCain. He expressed that he did what's in the interests of the United States and that he would not let other countries use the United states as a tool to achieve their own goals.

He seems to be referring to the continuous and relentless efforts by the Israelis and their Zionist supporters in the government and the media to drag the US to confrontation with Iran using any excuse they could utilize. Their ultimate objective is destroying the Iranian nuclear facilities to prevent Iranians from developing nuclear weapons, in order for the Zionist state to continue being the only nuclear power in the Middle East.

Obama has been resistant so far to these relentless Israeli-Zionist efforts.

The pro-Israeli Zionist corporate media in the US and other NATO countries have been jubilant and gloating over the Iranian election riots, reporting them 24-hours a day. However, they were dead silent during the one-month Israeli criminal war onslaught of Gaza in January this year.

The Israeli Zionist war criminals, then, killed about 1,400 innicent Palestinian civilians, the overwhelming majority of whom were children and women, in addition to more than 5,000 injured civilians, using illegal weapons such as white phosphorus and DIME bombs.

May God protect Obama and strengthen him in the face of these relentless Israeli-Zionist efforts to drag the US to a devastating conflict with the Islamic Republic.

===============

Obama harshly condemns Iran crackdown on protesters

Tue Jun 23, 2009 3:06pm EDT

By John Whitesides and Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

President Barack Obama toughened his criticism of Iran on Tuesday for its crackdown on anti-government protesters, harshly condemning the violence and declaring scenes of death in Tehran "heartbreaking."

At his fourth White House news conference, Obama also said he was still optimistic about the prospects in Congress for an overhaul of the costly U.S. healthcare system and urged lawmakers to pass a comprehensive climate change bill.

The Democratic president, facing heavy criticism from Republicans that he was being too timid in backing street protests over Iran's contested election, said the United States was "appalled and outraged" by the violence.

"I strongly condemn these unjust actions, and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost," Obama said.

He called the video of an Iranian women killed in the streets, which has become a staple of news coverage of the protests, "heartbreaking" and said it made clear the violence against the protesters was "fundamentally unjust."

"In 2009, no iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to the peaceful pursuit of justice," he said.

Asked why it took him so long to express his outrage, Obama said the U.S. approach had been consistent and he did not want to hurt the protesters by aligning them with the United States.

"Ultimately, the most important thing for the Iranian government to consider is legitimacy in the eyes of its own people," he said.

But Obama declined to spell out any potential consequences for Tehran of the crackdown, and said there was still "a path available" to Iran in which it could operate within the international community.

SETBACKS AND POLL DECLINES

Obama has faced setbacks on central legislative goals and a bout of bad news in public opinion polls in the last week, and he became testy at times when pressed by reporters. He rejected suggestions he was responding to attacks by Republicans such as former presidential rival Senator John McCain.

Obama said he still believed Congress would pass an overhaul of the healthcare system, and a government-run health insurance plan "made sense" as part of the package, he said.

Obama is battling growing concerns over the price tag -- at least $1 trillion and possibly far more -- on his reform plan and proposals for a government-run insurance plan that would compete with private insurers.

"This is legislation that will be paid for. It will not add to our deficits over the next decade. We will find the money through savings and efficiencies within the health care system," he said.

A wave of new public opinion polls show declining satisfaction with Obama's policies and concerns about growing federal debt, although the president remains personally popular.

He said the climate change bill, which faces a vote in the House of Representatives Friday, was needed to make the United States the leader in a "clean engine economy."

"This energy bill will create a set of incentives that will spur the development of new sources of energy, including wind, solar, and geothermal power," Obama said. "This legislation is extraordinarily important for our country."

The climate bill's chances of passage are cloudy in the Senate, although more positive in the House.

Obama also praised the work of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, whose term expires in January.

The news conference was moved inside to the White House press room, instead of the originally planned Rose Garden, because of heat and humidity in Washington.

Obama was scheduled to meet with later Tuesday with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.

(Additional reporting by David Alexander, Ross Colvin, Doug Palmer, Tabassum Zakaria, Andy Sullivan and Andrew Quinn; Editing by Patricia Zengerle

====================

Obama talks tougher on Iran violence

By JENNIFER LOVEN AP White House Correspondent

Jun 23, 2009, 2:40 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) --

President Barack Obama on Tuesday declared the United States and the entire world "appalled and outraged" by Iran's violent efforts to crush dissent and for the first time expressed significant doubt about the legitimacy of the national election at the root of the upheaval.

The president suggested that Iran would face consequences for brutally beating back protest, warning that the way the country responds in the days ahead will shape its relationship with other countries, including the United States. He would not specify what any punishment might be.

Five months into his presidency, Obama addressed reporters under mounting pressure from Republican lawmakers who have accused him of being too passive in challenging Iran's crackdown. Obama said he has been consistent and scoffed at the suggestion that Republicans influenced his stand.

"Only I'm the president of the United States," the president declared.

On the home front, Obama suggested that he ultimately may be willing to accept a health care plan without a government-run option for consumers. And on the recession, he said it was too soon to propose a second stimulus plan to jolt the economy, even as he acknowledged the unemployment rate is headed over 10 percent.

The eighth extended news conference of Obama's administration was dominated by the Iranian tumult and the president's sprawling plan to overhaul the nation's health care system as negotiations with Congress pick up. In a sign of the fleeting nature of news, Obama was not asked once about the wars under his watch, Iraq or Afghanistan. He took a question about his lingering smoking habit, yet none about his Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor.

In Iran, the chaotic images of riot police beating and shooting protesters have seized the world's attention and heightened pressure on Obama by the day.

He has searched for the right balance - supporting peaceful protest, condemning violence but trying to avoid any perception of U.S. meddling. In a toughening of his rhetoric, Obama expressed outrage at the "threats, beatings and imprisonments of the last few days. "

"I strongly condemn these unjust actions," he said.

Obama said he could not speak to precisely what happened at polling places because there were no international observers in place. But he said concerns about the fairness of Iran's presidential voting should not be discounted, stating that there are "significant questions about the legitimacy of the election."

At least 17 people have been killed in protests since the election last week.

Protesters have demanded that the government cancel and rerun the elections that ended with a declaration of overwhelming victory for hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi says he won and has claimed widespread fraud.

"I have made it clear that the United States respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is not interfering in Iran's affairs," Obama said. "But we must also bear witness to the courage and dignity of the Iranian people, and to a remarkable opening within Iranian society. And we deplore violence against innocent civilians anywhere that it takes place."

Obama noted the killing of a young woman, Neda Agha Soltan, whose apparent shooting death was captured on video and circulated worldwide.

"We have seen courageous women stand up to brutality and threats, and we have experienced the searing image of a woman bleeding to death on the streets," Obama said. "While this loss is raw and painful, we also know this: Those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history."

Obama said he's watched the video. "It's heartbreaking," he said. "I think that anybody who sees it knows that there's something fundamentally unjust about it."

On a less-earthshaking matter, at one point the questioning turned to Obama's inability to kick the smoking habit.

"I would say I'm 95 percent cured, but there are times when I mess up," the president said the day after signing an anti-smoking bill into law. He said he doesn't light up in front of his children or his wife.

Obama's appearance came as his approval rating - while still high, and a little above average for new presidents - was slipping according to recent polls.

He's seeking to frame the Washington debate on his own terms after a stretch in which he has seen fellow Democrats fretting about the jaw-dropping cost estimates of reforming health care, a series of polls underscoring deep unease among independents and moderates over the soaring deficit, and Republicans challenging him to be stronger in his response to the postelection turmoil in Iran.

Obama didn't rule out shifting U.S. strategy on Iran, which now calls for an opening of dialogue.

"We are going to monitor and see how this plays itself out before we make any adjustments about how we proceed," the president said.

Obama forcefully rejected the idea that he's been slow to forcefully respond to Iran's violent crackdown on dissent.

"I don't think that's accurate," Obama said. "Track what I've been saying."

When asked if his strong language on Tuesday was influenced by pressure from such Republicans as Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, Obama scoffed: "What do you think?"

On Sunday, Sen. Graham, R-S.C., said: "The president of the United States is supposed to lead the free world, not follow it. He's been timid and passive more than I would like." McCain, R-Ariz., who challenged Obama for the presidency, said: "I'd like to see the president be stronger than he has been."

Obama is asking Congress to pass a sprawling and costly plan to overhaul the nation's health care system, as powerful interest groups warily react with both support and criticism. On energy, Obama and Congress are under pressure to pass climate and energy legislation by the end of this year, when the U.S. will sit down with other nations to hammer out a new international agreement to curb emissions linked to global warming.

The president used his opening statement to push both measures.

Acknowledging that the unemployment rate is going to climb over 10 percent, Obama said he's not satisfied with the progress his administration has made on the economy - and he doesn't blame people for being frustrated. He defended his recovery package but said the aid must get out faster.

"Look, the American people have a right to feel like this is a tough time right now," he said.

On health care, Obama said: "Right now I will say that our position is a public plan makes sense" - but he left open the door, as negotiations continue, to abandoning the position that people should have the option of choosing coverage from a government program.

"We have not drawn lines in the sand other than that reform has to control costs and that it has to provide relief to people who don't have health insurance or are underinsured," he said.

Fair Use Notice

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.