McCain Release on Obama’s Comments

Today in New Mexico, Obama Backed Away From His Pledge For Unconditional Meeting With Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Today, Obama Said He Would Not Necessarily Meet With Ahmadinejad. “Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama underscored his willingness to talk to leaders of countries like Iran that are considered U.S. adversaries but said that does not necessarily mean an audience with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. … ‘There’s no reason why we would necessarily meet with Ahmadinejad before we know that he was actually in power. He’s not the most powerful person in Iran,’ Obama told reporters while campaigning in New Mexico.” (Caren Bohan, “Obama Says Won’t Guarantee Ahmadinejad A Meeting,” Reuters, 5/26/08 )

FACT CHECK: Obama Has Repeatedly Confirmed That He Would Meet With Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad And Other Rogue Leaders

At July 2007 CNN/Youtube Debate, Obama Was Asked If He Would Personally Meet “Without Precondition” With Leaders Of Iran, North Korea, Syria And Other Nations — As Pictures Of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad And Other Leaders Were Shown On Youtube Screen – To Which Obama Said “I Would.” QUESTION: “[W]ould you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?”… OBAMA: “I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them — which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration - is ridiculous.” (CNN/YouTube Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Charleston, SC, 7/23/07)

In September 2007 In New York City, Obama Confirmed That He Would Meet With Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. QUESTION: “Senator, you’ve said before that you’d meet with President Ahmadinejad …” OBAMA: “Uh huh.” QUESTION: “Would you still meet with him today?” OBAMA: “Yeah, nothing’s changed with respect to my belief that strong countries and strong presidents talk to their enemies and talk to their adversaries. I find many of President Ahmadinejad’s statements odious and I’ve said that repeatedly. And I think that we have to recognize that there are a lot of rogue nations in the world that don’t have American interests at heart. But what I also believe is that, as John F. Kennedy said, we should never negotiate out of fear but we should never fear to negotiate. And by us listening to the views even of those who we violently disagree with – that sends a signal to the world that we are going to turn the page on the failed diplomacy that the Bush Administration has practiced for so long.” (Barack Obama, Press Conference, New York City, 9/24/07)

* ABC News: “Still, as recently as September, he reiterated his promise to meet with Ahmadinejad himself. Asked about that commitment in the midst of a firestorm over Columbia University’s decision to invite the Iranian president to speak, Obama indicated that he stood by it.” (Rick Klein, “Obama’s Evolving Take On Meeting With Iran,”5/20/08 )

In October 2007 CBS Interview, When Asked About Meeting With “Hugo Chavez And Etc. Etc.,” Obama Said “Exactly, And Without Preconditions.” CBS’ Harry Smith: “You said, ‘I will talk to so and so and Hugo Chavez and etc., etc.’” Obama: “Exactly, and without preconditions.” (CBS’ “The Early Show,” 10/15/07)

At December 2007 Debate, Obama Again Specifically Brought Up Ahmadinejad’s Name When Discussing How America Must Be Willing To “Talk Directly To Not Just Our Friends But Also To Our Enemies.” OBAMA: “We need to send a strong signal that we are going to talk directly to not just our friends but also to our enemies. And I have to say that when I brought this up early on in this campaign, I was called naive and irresponsible. And yet the point, the reason for that was not necessarily because we’re going to change Ahmadinejad’s mind. It’s because we’re going to change the minds of people inside Iran, moderate forces inside Iran, as well as our Muslim allies around the region, that we are willing to listen to them and try to engage in finding ways to resolve conflicts cooperatively.” (Sen. Barack Obama, National Public Radio Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Des Moines, IA, 12/4/07)

In February 2008, Obama Said He Will Meet With Enemy Leaders “Without Preconditions.” OBAMA: “There has been no confusion. I have been absolutely clear on this. I will meet not just with our friends but with our enemies. I will meet without preconditions.” (CNN’s “The Situation Room,” 2/4/08 )

In April 2008, Senator Barack Obama: “As A Matter Of Principle, I Will Talk To Any Head Of State,” Gave Iran As Example. SEN. OBAMA: “But there is I think a practical effect when we have direct talks with these countries. So as a matter of principle, I will talk to any head of state after sufficient preparation in order to lay out what our interests are and to listen to them, but not to concede on the issues that are in our long term national security interest. So for example, meeting with Iran, if I were sitting at the table, I will be very specific. We need them to stop developing nuclear weapons. We need them to stop funding Hamas and Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations. We need them to stop their aggressive rhetoric towards Israel, and offer carrots and sticks for changes in behavior. Unless we have those talks, then Iran has an excuse to pursue whatever policies it wants arguing that essentially we are bent on regime change. I actually think that weakens our influence and encourages worst behavior on their part.”

Obama Campaign Website: “Obama Is The Only Major Candidate Who Supports Tough, Direct Presidential Diplomacy With Iran Without Preconditions.” “Obama is the only major candidate who supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions.” (Obama For America Website, http://www.barackobama.com, Accessed 5/12/08 )

Over The Past Week, At Least Seven Obama Advisors Have Contradicted Obama On Unconditional Meetings With Rogue Leaders

Obama Senior Advisor David Axelrod Tried To Backtrack On Obama’s Statements On Unconditional Meetings With The World’s Worst Regimes. AXELROD: “Well, first of all, everyone should go back and review the question that was asked in the debate last summer in which this was started. The question was would you be WILLING to sit down? And of course, the answer was yes, I would be WILLING and any president should, if there is an opportunity to advance our interests and to advance, you know, the causes that we care about and the causes of peace and so on, we should be willing to do that if there is that chance and that’s what Barack Obama is saying.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 5/23/08 )

Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM): “I Think You Don’t Talk To Ahmadinejad.” GOV. RICHARDSON: “Well, you know throughout my career, I’ve talked to a lot of bad guys. You know, I have talked to Castro. I think you don’t talk to Ahmadinejad. You talk to some of the moderate clerics.” (Fox News’ “Fox And Friends,” 5/21/08 )

Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) Rejected Obama’s Call For Unconditional Meetings, Saying “I Would Not Say That We Would Meet Unconditionally – Of Course There Are Conditions …” CNN’s JOHN ROBERTS: “Senator, you thought about running for the nomination in the 2004 election briefly. If you had become president, would you have met with Ahmadinejad and others without precondition in the first year of your presidency?” DASCHLE: “Well, I think it’s important to emphasize again when we talk about precondition, we’re just saying everything needs to be on the table. I would not say that we would meet unconditionally — of course there are conditions that we would involve in preparation in getting ready for the diplomacy, but clearly, John, we’ve got to start talking. We have to start working through the differences we have, and of course I’d meet with them.” ROBERTS: “But he clearly said, clearly agreed that he would meet without precondition.” DASCHLE: “Well, without precondition simply means we wouldn’t put obstacles in the way of discussing the differences between us. that’s really what they’re saying, what Barack is saying.” (CNN’s “America Morning,” 5/20/08 )

Obama Senior Foreign Policy Advisor Susan Rice Denied That Senator Obama Said He Would Meet With Ahmadinejad. CNN’S WOLF BLITZER: “How does Senator Obama defend that decision to meet without preconditions with a leader like Ahmadinejad?” RICE: “Well, first of all, he said he’d meet with the appropriate Iranian leaders. He hasn’t named who that leader will be. It may, in fact be that by the middle of next of year, Ahmadinejad is long gone.” … BLITZER: “Let’s be precise because when they criticize Barack Obama, not only John McCain but others, for suggesting that he would meet without preconditions with Ahmadinejad, who only last week on Israel’s 60th anniversary called Israel a ’stinking corpse.’ The question that they ask is what is Barack Obama going to talk with him about? RICE: “Well, first of all as I said, it would be the appropriate Iranian leadership at the appropriate time – not necessarily Ahmadinejad.” (CNN’s “Situation Room,” 5/19/08 )

Sen. Joe Biden Said Obama Gave “Wrong Answer” On Meeting With Rogue Regimes At July 2007 Debate, Falsely Said He Backed Away From That Position Since. BIDEN: “[Obama has] learned a hell of a lot. I think he has. What we’re talking about here is that he has repeatedly since then said he would not negotiate unconditionally, meaning him sitting down, alone, right off the bat with these leaders. He’s talked about his Secretary of State, his Secretary of Defense. Matter of a fact, the statements he use mirrors the statement the rest of us have been talking about. This is a fellow who I think shorthanded an answer that in fact was the wrong answer, in my view, saying I would within my first year, it implied he’d personally sit down with anybody who wanted to sit down with him. That’s not what he meant. That’s not what he has said since then for the last year or thereabout. And so I think he’s fully capable of understanding of what’s going.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 5/18/08 )

Former Rep. Harold Ford Say “You Cannot Meet With … Those That Lead Rogue Nations Without Some Conditions.” “Barack Obama’s challenge, I’ll concede, you cannot meet with foreign leaders — with terrorists, rather, those that lead rogue nations without some conditions.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press, 5/18/08 )

Former Sen. Gary Hart Said Unconditionally Meeting With Leaders Of Rogue Nations “Doesn’t Lead To Anything,” Went On To Misstate Obama’s Stated Position. CNN’s WOLF BLITZER: “But the question he was specifically asked at one of the Presidential debates is, would you personally as President, be willing to sit down with these leaders, whether leaders of North Korea or Venezuela or Cuba or Iran without pre-conditions, in your first year as President, that was the specific question, he said yes. He later expanded. He said that there would be preparations that would have to be done by lower-level officials. But he was saying without pre-conditions, he personally would be willing to do so.” GARY HART: “Well, depends on how you define pre-conditions. I’ve been in those debates, and everything gets compressed. I don’t think Barack Obama or any other President is going to meet with a head of state without lower-level discussions preceding that. It doesn’t lead to anything. What you do is send diplomats and negotiators to explore areas of mutual interest. And if it does seem profitable, then you go to the heads of state. We did this with the Soviets throughout the Cold War. Richard Nixon did it with the Chinese. And the preparations led up to those discussions.” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 5/18/08 )