McCain Campaign Press Release - The One Year Anniversary of "Without Precondition"

ARLINGTON, VA -- One year ago today, Barack Obama said he would personally meet with the leaders of Iran and other rogue nations "without precondition." Such unconditional presidential summits would undermine the multilateral diplomacy now underway. This one-year anniversary is even more significant given that Barack Obama is in Israel which is threatened and attacked by Hamas and Hezbollah, terrorist groups backed by Iran. Please find below background on Barack Obama's support for unconditionally holding presidential summits with foreign dictators and state sponsors of terrorism.

At A July 2007 Democratic Debate, Barack Obama Announced He Would Personally Meet With Leaders Of Iran, North Korea, Syria And Other Hostile Nations "Without Precondition." 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)

• Watch Barack Obama Say "I Would" Meet Unconditionally With Leaders Of Iran, North Korea, Syria, And Other Nations

• At A September 2007 Press Conference, Barack Obama Confirmed That He Would Meet Specifically 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." (Sen. Barack Obama, Press Conference, New York, NY, 9/24/07)

Barack Obama's Campaign Website: "Obama Is The Only Major Candidate Who Supports Tough, Direct Presidential Diplomacy With Iran Without Preconditions." "Diplomacy: Obama is the only major candidate who supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions. Now is the time to pressure Iran directly to change their troubling behavior. Obama would offer the Iranian regime a choice. If Iran abandons its nuclear program and support for terrorism, we will offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization, economic investments, and a move toward normal diplomatic relations. If Iran continues its troubling behavior, we will step up our economic pressure and political isolation. Seeking this kind of comprehensive settlement with Iran is our best way to make progress." (Obama Campaign Website, http://www.barackobama.com/issues/foreignpolicy/, Accessed 5/15/08)

• LINK: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/foreignpolicy/

America's European Allies Have Voiced Concern About Barack Obama's Pledge To Meet With President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Without Precondition:

The Washington Post: European Officials "Increasingly Concerned That Sen. Barack Obama's Campaign Pledge To Begin Direct Talks ... Could Potentially Rupture U.S. Relations With Key European Allies." "European officials are increasingly concerned that Sen. Barack Obama's campaign pledge to begin direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program without preconditions could potentially rupture U.S. relations with key European allies early in a potential Obama administration." (Glenn Kessler, "Europe Fears Obama Might Undercut Progress With Iran," The Washington Post, 6/22/08)

Barack Obama's Pledge Is Contrary To Four UN Security Council Resolutions Demanding Iran Stop Enriching Uranium As A Precondition. "The U.N. Security Council has passed four resolutions demanding that Iran stop enriching uranium, each time highlighting the offer of financial and diplomatic incentives from a European-led coalition if Tehran suspends enrichment, a route to producing fuel for nuclear weapons. But Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has said he would make such suspension a topic for discussion with Iran, rather than a precondition for any negotiations to take place." (Glenn Kessler, "Europe Fears Obama Might Undercut Progress With Iran," The Washington Post, 6/22/08)

• European Officials "Wary Of Giving Up A Demand That Has Been So Enshrined In UN Resolutions." "European officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said they are wary of giving up a demand that has been so enshrined in U.N. resolutions, particularly without any corresponding concessions by Iran." (Glenn Kessler, "Europe Fears Obama Might Undercut Progress With Iran," The Washington Post, 6/22/08)

• Obama Adviser Philip Gordon: European Officials "Uncomfortable With Giving Up Precondition Of Uranium Enrichment Right Now. "Still, Philip H. Gordon, a Europe expert at the Brookings Institution who has advised the Obama campaign, acknowledged that European officials 'are uncomfortable with giving up the precondition of uranium enrichment right now.'" (Glenn Kessler, "Europe Fears Obama Might Undercut Progress With Iran," The Washington Post, 6/22/08)

• International Institute For Strategic Studies' Francois Heisbourg: "Dropping a unanimous Security Council condition would simply be interpreted by Iran and America's allies as unconditional surrender, and America's friends would view this as confirmation of America's basic unreliability. ... A hell of a way to start a presidential term." (Glenn Kessler, "Europe Fears Obama Might Undercut Progress With Iran," The Washington Post, 6/22/08)

The Washington Post: European Officials Say Precondition "Is A European Concept." "European officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be seen as interfering with U.S. politics, said the demand that Iran first suspend its uranium enrichment is a European concept, not something forced on them by the Bush administration." (Glenn Kessler, "Europe Fears Obama Might Undercut Progress With Iran," The Washington Post, 6/22/08)

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Has Called For The Destruction Of The U.S. And Israel:

Ahmadinejad Said A World Without America "Surely Can Be Achieved." "The Iranian Students News Agency published a speech by Mr. Ahmadinejad at the World Without Zionism conference last October in which he cited the disappearance of three regimes - the shah's in Iran, Saddam Hussein's in Iraq, and the Soviet Union - as precursors for the destruction of America and Israel. 'Is it possible for us to witness a world without America and Zionism? ... This slogan and this goal are attainable, and surely can be achieved,' he said." (Steven Stalinsky, Op-Ed, "Ahmadinejad's Bully Pulpit," The New York Sun, 9/20/06)

Ahmadinejad Recently Referred To Israel As A "Stinking Corpse" And Said It Was "On Its Way To Annihilation." "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel a 'stinking corpse' that was doomed to fail, and warned countries that they would 'burn in the fire of their people's hatred' if they helped Israel, the news agency IRNA reported. 'Today the reason for Zionist regime's existence is questioned, and this regime is on its way to annihilation,' he said in a speech on the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state." (Nazila Fathi, "Iran: A Hate Note On Israel's Birthday," The New York Times, 5/9/08)

• "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Said ... That Israel Is Dying And That Its 60th Anniversary Celebrations Are An Attempt To Prevent Its 'Annihilation.'" (Ali Akbar Dareini, "Ahmadinejad Says Israel Doomed," The Associated Press, 5/14/08)

• Ahmadinejad Previously Said Israel Should Be Wiped Off The Map And Denied That The Holocaust Occurred. "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said in the past he wants to wipe Israel off the map and dismissed the Holocaust as a myth." (Nick Wadhams, "Israel: No Greater Threat To World's Values Than The Leaders Of Iran," The Associated Press, 9/21/06)