President defends policy on Iran

March 7, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON

President Barack Obama ripped his Republican presidential rivals Tuesday in his first election-year press conference, accusing them of politicizing worries over Iran’s nuclear aspirations and “beating the drums of war.”

Holding his first news conference since October — on the same day Republicans had presidential primaries in 10 states — Obama rebuffed criticism of his Iran policy by casting himself as a cautious warrior and his challengers as looking to score political points by accusing him of not being tough enough on Tehran. He also addressed a number of domestic concerns.

“When I see the casualness with which some of these folks talk about war, I’m reminded of the costs involved in war. I’m reminded of the decision that I have to make, in terms of sending our young men and women into battle, and the impact that has on their lives, the impact it has on our national security, the impact it has on our economy,” Obama said. “This is not a game. And there’s nothing casual about it.”

His remarks came just hours after Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich accused Obama of being weak on Iran in speeches before an influential pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Santorum called for giving Iran a “clear ultimatum” to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons, and Romney said he would end the “current policy of procrastination.”

Without naming his rivals, Obama challenged them, saying he had heard “a lot of bluster and a lot of big talk,” but that when it comes down to action, “it turns out they repeat the things that we’ve been doing over the last three years.

“It indicates to me that that’s more about politics than actually trying to solve a difficult problem,” Obama said, adding, “If some of these folks think that it’s time to launch a war, they should say so. And they should explain to the American people exactly why.”