Obama Pushes for MidEast Peace at UN
The New York Times reports:
UNITED NATIONS — One year after delivering a sweeping speech here that promised a new era of American engagement with the world, President Obama returned to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday to defend his record on pursuing peace in the Middle East, containing Iran’s nuclear program and helping to heal the global economy.
In a wide-ranging speech, Mr. Obama urged Iran to resume talks over its nuclear program, saying that “the door remains open to diplomacy should Iran choose to walk through it.”
“But the Iranian government must demonstrate a clear and credible commitment, and confirm to the world the peaceful intent of its nuclear program,” he said, adding that Iran “must be held accountable” if it fails to meet its obligations under international nonproliferation treaties.
In June, the United Nations Security Council imposed its fourth round of sanctions against Iran, which were followed up by harsher unilateral measures by the United States and European and Asian nations. On Wednesday, Russia made clear it would not be fulfilling a contract to sell Iran an advanced missile system.
Mr. Obama also called on Israel to extend its freeze on building new Jewish settlements in the West Bank, construction that is one of the most contentious issues between Israelis and Palestinians. The moratorium is set to expire this weekend, and hard-won talks could be stymied if the Israelis fail to extend it and the Palestinians decide to walk away from the table.
“Our position on this issue is well known,” Mr. Obama said. “We believe that the moratorium should be extended. We also believe that talks should press on until completed.”
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