Monday, April 16, 2012
Associated Press
CARTAGENA, Colombia
Exposing a rift with Israel, President Barack Obama on Sunday insisted that the U.S. had not “given anything away” in new talks with Iran as he defended his continued push for a diplomatic resolution to the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Obama said he refused to let the talks turn into a “stalling process,” but believed there was still a window for diplomacy. Earlier Sunday, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly disagreed with at least part of that strategy, saying the U.S. and world powers gave Tehran a “freebie” by agreeing to have more talks next month.
“So far, at least, we haven’t given away anything, other than the opportunity for us to negotiate and see if Iran comes to the table in good faith,” Obama said at a news conference Sunday in Colombia, as he closed a diplomatic mission to Latin America. But, he warned, “The clock’s ticking.”
Winding down his three-day trip in Cartagena, Obama also sought to offer hope for fresh start with Cuba, saying the U.S. would welcome the communist-run island’s transition to democracy. There could be an opportunity for such a shift to take place in the coming years, Obama said.
Standing alongside Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, Obama also proclaimed a free-trade agreement between their countries as a “win-win.”
Obama announced that the trade pact can be fully enforced next month, now that Colombia has enacted a series of protections for workers and labor unions.
As Obama was meeting with Latin American leaders in Colombia this weekend, negotiators from the U.S. and five other world powers were in Turkey for a fresh round of nuclear talks with Iran.
While previous talks have done little to dissuade Iran from moving forward on its nuclear program, diplomats called the latest negotiations constructive and useful.