Barack Obama has challenged
Senator Clinton’s refusal to have direct talks with the Iranian president and
states on his website, “I
believe that strong countries and strong Presidents shouldn't be afraid to talk
directly to our adversaries to tell them where America stands.” Obama introduced the Iran Sanctions Enabling
Act in 2007 to isolate Iran economically and increase pressure on Iran’s
nuclear ambitions and support for terrorist groups. He wrote in a letter to the Israel Project, “Allowing Iran, a radical theocracy that supports terrorism
and openly threatens its neighbors, to acquire nuclear weapons is a risk we
cannot take.”
On Diplomacy: Direct diplomacy
“Oh, we have to deal with the role of Iran. The
question is whether we deal with Iran through saber-rattling, or whether we
deal with Iran by direct diplomatic engagement. The key for us is to engage in
the sort of direct talks that we engaged in, by the way, when Iran cooperated
with us in dealing with the Taliban in Afghanistan. It's that sort of direct
engagement that this president has been unwilling to do, but under an Obama
administration would be, I think a top priority.”
On Military Action: Military action is viable.
“As president, I will use whatever
military force is necessary to protect U.S. citizens and interests around the
globe. But what I also understand is that the military option is not the only
option in the toolbox.”
On the NIE: “It is
absolutely clear that this administration and President Bush continues to not
let facts get in the way of his ideology. They need, now, to aggressively move
on the diplomatic front. They should have stopped the rattling -- should never
have started it.”
Voting History:
-Co-sponsored
the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act in March 2007, which would have tightened
sanctions on Iran, limited food exports from the U.S. to Iran, and designated
the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization. (S.970)
-Sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act in May 2007, which would
prevent state and local governments from investing in companies with
investments of $20 million or more in Iran's energy sector. (S.1430)
-Did not
vote on a Sept. 2007 Senate resolution calling on the administration to declare
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization. (S.AMDT.3017)
-Introduced
a Senate resolution in November 2007, saying President Bush does not have
authority to use military force against Iran.
To
learn more about this candidate’s congressional record click here.
