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Last update - 00:00 28/10/2008
Sources: Sarkozy views Obama stance on Iran as 'utterly immature'
By Barak Ravid
Tags: Israel News, Nicolas Sarkozy 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is very critical of U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama's positions on Iran, according to reports that have reached Israel's government.

Sarkozy has made his criticisms only in closed forums in France. But according to a senior Israeli government source, the reports reaching Israel indicate that Sarkozy views the Democratic candidate's stance on Iran as "utterly immature" and comprised of "formulations empty of all content."

Obama visited Paris in July, and the Iranian issue was at the heart of his meeting with Sarkozy. At a joint press conference afterward, Obama urged Iran to accept the West's proposal on its nuclear program, saying that Iran was creating a serious situation that endangered both Israel and the West.
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According to the reports reaching Israel, Sarkozy told Obama at that meeting that if the new American president elected in November changed his country's policy toward Iran, that would be "very problematic."

Until now, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany have tried to maintain a united front on Iran. But according to the senior Israeli source, Sarkozy fears that Obama might "arrogantly" ignore the other members of this front and open a direct dialogue with Iran without preconditions.

Following their July meeting, Sarkozy repeatedly expressed disappointment with Obama's positions on Iran, concluding that they were "not crystallized, and therefore many issues remain open," the Israeli source said. Advisors to the French president who held separate meetings with Obama's advisors came away with similar impressions and expressed similar disappointment.

According to the Israeli source, Sarkozy plans to begin intensive negotiations with the new American administration, regardless of whether it is headed by Obama or Republican Sen. John McCain, even before the new president takes office in January, with the goal of persuading him to continue the current policy on Iran.

But Sarkozy's pessimism does not stem only from Obama's stance; it also stems from the overall behavior of the international community toward Iran's nuclear program, and particularly its inability to agree on a fourth round of Security Council sanctions against the Islamic Republic. This foot-dragging will make it impossible to effect a change in Iran's nuclear policy, Sarkozy believes.

The French intelligence community believes that Iran has already obtained about 40 percent of the enriched uranium it would need for its first bomb, and that at its current rate, it will obtain the rest of the uranium it needs in the spring or summer of 2009.

However, French agencies are divided over what Iran is likely to do once it has this uranium. One view is that the Iranians will immediately make a nuclear bomb, in order to demonstrate their capability. The other is that Iran will continue enriching uranium without making a bomb - at least until it has enough enriched uranium for several bombs.

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      1.   If Sarkozy changes his stance... 02:44  |  newsreader 28/10/08
      2.   Utterly immature,.....we agree Mr. President 03:03  |  Lynn 28/10/08
      3.   Obama wary of Sarkozys reform program for France 03:05  |  Swiss (Dino) 28/10/08
      4.   Interesting 03:06  |  Maria 28/10/08
      5.   Are the US Jews are agaisnt Israeli Jews 03:32  |  CP 28/10/08
      6.   us jews 04:10  |  Paul 28/10/08
      7.   Swiss Dino 04:21  |  BoB BerrY 28/10/08
      8.   Sarkozy 04:50  |  Iamashamed 28/10/08
      9.   "Sarkozy wary on Obama`s position on Iran" 05:11  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/10/08
      10.   The real problem is 05:34  |  Ibn Musa 28/10/08
      11.   CP, Iran did no such thing... 05:41  |  BBSNews 28/10/08
      12.   #5 - CP 05:56  |  MichaelF 28/10/08
      13.   Now *that* is antisemitism Paul... 05:57  |  BBSNews 28/10/08
      14.   BoB, Sarkozy actually wants Obama,,, 06:01  |  BBSNews 28/10/08
      15.   An attempt to manipulate the Jewish vote 06:20  |  Michael 28/10/08
      16.   Obama 06:42  |  Charles 28/10/08
      17.   American Ignorance 07:04  |  dovvod 28/10/08
      18.   If Sarkozy wants to attack Iran, let him do it 07:14  |  Natallie Durson 28/10/08
      19.   Reply to CP ( #5) 07:23  |  Tod Zuckerman 28/10/08
      20.   IAEA repeated again their suspicions about Iran 07:27  |  PETER SM 28/10/08
      21.   #17, Durson 07:56  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/10/08
      22.   Swiitzerland, Germany and Austria in bed with Iran 08:00  |  Elly 28/10/08
      23.   dowod, point taken but... 08:09  |  BBSNews 28/10/08
      24.   PeterSM and "nuclear" intentions... 08:14  |  BBSNews 28/10/08
      25.   Sarko the hypocrit 08:55  |  American in Paris 28/10/08
      26.   Sarkozy... is a naughty boy... 08:58  |  Maureen Ann 28/10/08
      27.   Obama`s "formulations empty of all content." EXACTLY! 09:04  |  S 28/10/08
      28.   To CP criticizing fellow Jews 09:05  |  American in Paris 28/10/08
      29.   THE WORST CASE SCENARIO 09:17  |  Steve 28/10/08
      30.   BSNews -- lying through his teeth, as usual 09:39  |  SDHD 28/10/08
      31.   BBS Sarkozy is talking about SANCTIONS! 09:48  |  PETER SM 28/10/08
      32.   Strongman Sarkozy is a joke! 09:58  |  Fritz T. 28/10/08
      33.   "CLOSED FORUMS" 10:15  |  Cli 28/10/08
      34.   #33, Cli 10:31  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/10/08
      35.   European President Sarkozy speaks the truth 10:48  |  Johnny 28/10/08
      36.   Iran 10:50  |  Daniel Garcia 28/10/08
      37.   US Paranoia 11:06  |  Janet Brown 28/10/08
      38.   Here here! 11:09  |  Peter 28/10/08
      39.   Monsieur Le President: Please Tell Sen. Schumer 11:49  |  Ben Lolo 28/10/08
      40.   Translating `utterly` into French 12:00  |  allang 28/10/08
      41.   Obama = Chamberline 12:09  |  Nora 28/10/08
      42.   Sarko is there by american money 12:15  |  mehmet 28/10/08
      43.   NATALIE Where is ATTACK mentioned? 12:20  |  PETER SM 28/10/08
      44.   ALLANG Just because you do not know means? 12:22  |  PETER SM 28/10/08
      45.   Give Obama a chance 12:46  |  Vinod Joseph 28/10/08
      46.   Sarkozy only truthful world leader 13:09  |  r 28/10/08
      47.   inappropriate interference 13:12  |  samos 28/10/08
      48.   26 Maureen Ann - You should note that an 13:26  |  Ibn Musa 28/10/08
      49.   Sorry Daniel #36 - Iran has their own 13:28  |  spyguy 28/10/08
      50.   BBS no illusions, the only place for Jews in Islam is Dihimis 13:49  |  Simon 28/10/08
      51.   49 Spyguy, while you`re at it 13:51  |  Ibn Musa 28/10/08
      52.   BSnews - Take him seriously 14:00  |  Ibn Musa 28/10/08
      53.   views 14:02  |  Shmuelshachor 28/10/08
      54.   Cipora #9 Obama and McCain amount to the same thing 14:03  |  examiner 28/10/08
      55.   #18 Durson ....UnSC is what he is referring to 14:13  |  Lynn 28/10/08
      56.   THIS IS DRIVEL 14:38  |  Neutered Observer 28/10/08
      57.   The Problem with France is Leadership Lacking! 14:45  |  Monitor 28/10/08
      58.   The Irony 14:59  |  Mark of Lewiston 28/10/08
      59.   Night and Day. 15:40  |  Stephen. 28/10/08
      60.   Once again Jews march like sheep. 15:55  |  Jonathan 28/10/08
      61.   Obama is not even a US citizen 15:59  |  yo 28/10/08
      62.   #49 Spyguy 15:59  |  Dr Noam 28/10/08
      63.   to 59 16:12  |  Wojtek 28/10/08
      64.   #45 - Give Obama a chance to worsen the US economy? 16:24  |  redmike 28/10/08
      65.   #9, Cipora Julianna leading her private war against marxism 16:58  |  christoph 28/10/08
      66.   Swiss (Dino) SDA 17:02  |  David Israel 28/10/08
      67.   Just say NObama 17:03  |  Pastor Joseph 28/10/08
      68.   #64 redmike-oops polls just changed again 17:04  |  John Syracuse 28/10/08
      69.   #64 redmike 17:08  |  Cool B 28/10/08
      70.   #17 Dowod 18:10  |  Howard 28/10/08
      71.   Biased US press fails to report