Obama urges Iran to accept proposal on nuclear issue

During Paris visit, declares pressure on Tehran rising

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France are seen after their joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, where they met yesterday. (remy de la mauviniere/Associated Press)

PARIS - Senator Barack Obama yesterday warned Iran not to wait for a new American president and accept an international proposal now to stop enriching uranium.

If not, he said, "the pressure, I think, is only going to build."

In a quick visit to Paris for a meeting with President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, said the two men agreed that Iran poses "an extraordinarily grave situation" with dangers to Israel, the West, and the hope of nuclear nonproliferation. The world, he said, must send "a clear message to Iran to end its illicit nuclear program."

Iran insists it has a program only for peaceful energy purposes and has flouted UN Security Council resolutions calling on it to stop enrichment. Sanctions have so far not been sufficient to force Iran to stop, although the United States, along with other countries, has moved closer to direct negotiations with Iran.

Sarkozy, who first met both Obama, of Illinois, and his Republican rival, Senator John McCain of Arizona, in Washington in September 2006, was a genial host, amused by the local excitement surrounding Obama. "The French love the Americans," Sarkozy said with a wicked grin, praising Obama, and added, "The French have been following him with passion."

Obama returned the praise, saying that Sarkozy had been greeted in Washington "like a rock star" and that after the visit "people decided to call french fries french fries again" in the cafeteria at the Capitol.

At a joint news conference in the Elysee Palace, Obama repeated the themes of his speech Thursday night in Berlin, saying that the United States wanted a strong Europe able to share in the collective defense, needed European help in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran, welcomed European help in the Middle East and valued allied contributions in shared problems like global terrorism, poverty, and climate change.

The problem of climate change, Obama said, would be "one of my highest priorities" if elected president in November.

Both men agreed that Afghanistan is "a war we have to win," Obama said, vowing to send two more American brigades to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda there. Sarkozy, who has already sent another 700 French combat troops, said that "we are not allowed to fail" in Afghanistan and let the Taliban again "prevent 6 million little girls from going to school."

Sarkozy said he would work with whoever becomes the next American leader, adding, "Of course it's not up to the French to choose the next president of the United States of America." But he said that "Barack Obama's adventure is an adventure that rings true in the hearts and minds" of the French people.

Sarkozy, in a nod to his own immigrant roots and name, said that not all Frenchmen are named Sarkozy, as not all Americans are named Obama. He praised the ability of the United States to make advancement open to all its citizens.

It was an unusual sight for a Democratic presidential candidate to be standing side-by-side with a French president. Four years ago, Senator John F. Kerry spent months fighting the impression that he looked "French," or favored the European view of the world, and some conservative commentators created a caricature that probably affected his candidacy.

Asked by a French reporter if those concerns led him to make such a short visit to Paris and not stay the night, Obama said: "I don't know of anyone who doesn't want to spend more time in Paris." His speech in Berlin, he added, was meant to speak to all Europeans.

Sarkozy has also met three times with McCain, twice here. But each time McCain emerged from the Elysee Palace alone to answer questions. The news conference yesterday appeared presidential, though Obama aides insisted that an American flag not be displayed alongside the French flag because Obama is only a visiting senator and not the president, Elysee officials said.

McCain's positions on various issues of foreign policy are probably closer to Sarkozy's, especially on Iran, Russia, and the Middle East. But clearly Sarkozy and Obama hit it off.

Without criticizing President Bush, whom he has also hailed as a good friend, Sarkozy suggested Obama would change the way the world views the United States.

"The America that France loves is an America that's far-sighted, that has ambitions, great debates, strong personalities," Sarkozy said. "We need an America that is present, not absent."

As Obama's weeklong trip overseas winds down, the late-afternoon press conference with Sarkozy was the first one that he held standing next to a world leader. He deflected questions from French reporters who asked him to comment on Bush and other policies of the United States that are controversial here.

"Let me just remind everyone that I'm not the president," Obama said. "I'm a United States senator. I'm a candidate for president. There's a wonderful tradition that's not always observed, but I think it's a good one. You don't spend time criticizing a president of the United States when you are overseas."

The news conference lasted about 40 minutes before Obama flew to London. It concluded with a question for Sarkozy from an American reporter who wondered if he was endorsing Obama.

"Americans will chose their presidents, you know, not I," Sarkozy said, demurring. "Good luck to Barack Obama. If he is chosen, then France will be delighted. If it is someone else, France will be the friend of the United States of America."