Obama blames U.S. for stronger Iran

[oberliner]

CHICAGO - Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) on Friday blamed Bush Administration failings in Iraq for strengthening the strategic position of Iran, which he says must be stopped from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Illinois senator said that means "direct engagement" with Iran similar to the meetings with the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.

"A consequence of the Administration's failed strategy in Iraq has been to strengthen Iran's strategic position; reduce U.S. credibility and influence in the region; and place Israel and other nations friendly to the United States in greater peril," according to a text of a speech Obama delivered to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

The Bush administration recently altered its position, with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice saying this week that the U.S. is willing to talk to Iran on security in Iraq.

Obama also emphasized in his speech his commitment to protecting the security of Israel, which he called "our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070302/ap_on_el_pr/obama_mideast_2

[rurallib]

1. Well he's right - but that won't stop the idiots from skewering him.

[CJCRANE]

2. "Obama blames BUSH for stronger Iran"

should be the headline.

[KittyWampus]

5. exactly, the mediawhore bastards.

[BulletproofLandshark]

3. "Democrat presidential candidate"

Fuck you, AP.

[oberliner]

4. wow, good catch nt

[Amused Musings]

6. The Iranian regime's two greatest enemies-

were the Taliban to the East and Saddam Hussein to the West. They are both gone and in the vacuum will step in a resurgent Iran (that is if they could ever fix their near-terminal economy).