Obama would engage Iran if elected, he says

[jefferson_dem]

Obama would engage Iran if elected, he says
By Michael R. Gordon and Jeff Zeleny Published: November 1, 2007

CHICAGO: If elected president, Senator Barack Obama would meet with Iran's leaders and offer economic inducements and a possible promise not to seek "regime change" if Iran stopped meddling in Iraq and cooperated on terrorism and nuclear issues.

In an hour-long interview on Wednesday, Obama made clear that forging a new relationship with Iran would be a major element of a broad effort to stabilize Iraq. And he vowed to engage in "aggressive personal diplomacy" with Iran and other regional powers as he withdrew American combat forces in Iraq.

Obama said that Iran had been "acting irresponsibly" by supporting Shiite militant groups in Iraq. He also stressed that Tehran's suspected nuclear weapons program and its support for "terrorist activities" were serious concerns and that "we expect them to desist from those actions."

But Obama said that "changes in behavior" by Iran should be met with gestures by the United States, beginning with possible membership in the World Trade Organization.

"We are willing to talk about certain assurances in the context of them showing some good faith," he said. "I think it is important for us to send a signal that we are not hell bent on regime change, just for the sake of regime change, but expect changes in behavior. And there are both carrots and there are sticks available to them for those changes in behavior."

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http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/01/america/obama.php

[madrchsod]

1. it`s either us or the russians

[Samantha]

2. He clearly made that statement during the debates

I thought as I heard the words leave his lips that would be the headline the next day. I imagined all the right-wingers attempting to humiliate him for making such a statement. Instead, what do I hear: Hillary and the gender card.

This is truly an unbelievably stupid race we have in 2008. No one catches the truly newsworthy items to discuss; instead we prefer to become hung up on the silly.