WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama made a powerful plea Tuesday to give diplomacy a chance to resolve a decade-old standoff with Iran over its nuclear program, as he vowed to veto any new sanctions bill.
Addressing foreign policy in the annual State of the Union speech, he also warned that “the fact is, that danger remains” and the United States had “to remain vigilant” in face of changing global threats.
“While we have put al Qaeda’s core leadership on a path to defeat, the threat has evolved, as al Qaeda affiliates and other [militants] take root in different parts of the world,” Obama told US lawmakers.
“But I strongly believe our leadership and our security cannot depend on our military alone,” he said.
“As commander-in-chief, I have used force when needed to protect the American people, and I will never hesitate to do so as long as I hold this office,” he warned.
“But I will not send our troops into harm’s way unless it’s truly necessary.”
In November, Tehran struck an interim deal struck with six global powers, under which Iranian leaders agreed to scale back their uranium enrichment in return for sanctions relief.
“It is American diplomacy, backed by pressure, that has halted the progress of Iran’s nuclear program – and rolled parts of that program back – for the very first time in a decade,” Obama said.
Thanks to the six-month accord, the Islamic republic has begun eliminating its stockpiles of enriched uranium, has agreed to daily inspections and is not installing advanced centrifuges, he said.
“With our allies and partners, we’re engaged in negotiations to see if we can peacefully achieve a goal we all share: preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he stressed.
But he warned that negotiations for a comprehensive deal, due to start in New York next month,”will be difficult. They may not succeed.”
Answering criticism from some lawmakers about negotiating with Iran, Obama said the US was “clear-eyed” and any deal would not be based merely on trust but on verifiable actions.
“The sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity possible. But let me be clear: if this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it.
“For the sake of our national security, we must give diplomacy a chance to succeed,” Obama said.
Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay
“Because of the extraordinary troops and civilians who risk and lay down their lives to keep us free, the United States is more secure,” the US president stated praising the people who protect America.
Speaking about the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, Obama said, “When I took office, nearly 180,000 Americans were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, all our troops are out of Iraq. More than 60,000 of our troops have already come home from Afghanistan.”
The US had planned to withdraw several thousand troops from war-torn Afghanistan last year and Nato has set 2014 as a deadline for a complete withdrawal. The US had a 150,000-strong Nato operation in the country and it also plans to withdraw all its combat troops by the end of this year.
“With Afghan forces now in the lead for their own security, our troops have moved to a support role. Together with our allies, we will complete our mission there by the end of this year, and America’s longest war will finally be over.”
“After 2014, we will support a unified Afghanistan as it takes responsibility for its own future. If the Afghan government signs a security agreement that we have negotiated, a small force of Americans could remain in Afghanistan with NATO allies to carry out two narrow missions: training and assisting Afghan forces, and counterterrorism operations to pursue any remnants of al Qaeda. For while our relationship with Afghanistan will change, one thing will not: our resolve that terrorists do not launch attacks against our country.
“The fact is, that danger remains. While we have put al Qaeda’s core leadership on a path to defeat, the threat has evolved, as al Qaeda affiliates and other [militants] take root in different parts of the world. In Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, and Mali, we have to keep working with partners to disrupt and disable these networks. In Syria, we’ll support the opposition that rejects the agenda of terrorist networks. Here at home, we’ll keep strengthening our defenses, and combat new threats like cyberattacks. And as we reform our defense budget, we have to keep faith with our men and women in uniform, and invest in the capabilities they need to succeed in future missions.
“And with the Afghan war ending, this needs to be the year Congress lifts the remaining restrictions on detainee transfers and we close the prison at Guantanamo Bay – because we counter terrorism not just through intelligence and military action, but by remaining true to our Constitutional ideals, and setting an example for the rest of the world.”
Minimum wage
US President Barack Obama urged Congress to raise the federal minimum wage, challenging legislators to help reverse income disparity across the country.
“Say yes. Give America a raise. Give them a raise!” Obama told Congress in his State of the Union speech.
Noting that the current national minimum of $7.25 an hour was effectively 20 percent lower than it was a quarter-century ago, he urged the legislature, which has resisted hiking the baseline over the past year, to pass a bill that would hike the national base rate, covering all workers, nearly 40 percent to $10.10.
“This will help families. It will give businesses customers with more money to spend,” he said.
As he pressed an agenda to boost incomes for lower and middle class Americans, Obama lauded five states which in the past year have increased their own floor wage rates, and praised companies that pay more than they have to.
“Profitable corporations like Costco see higher wages as the smart way to boost productivity and reduce turnover. We should too.”
Obama announced he would soon issue an executive order requiring government contractors to pay their workers at least $10.10 an hour, skirting the need for Congressional approval.
That would potentially boost the incomes of hundreds of thousands of workers cleaning government buildings or working low-skilled jobs on military bases.
“Because if you cook our troops’ meals or wash their dishes, you shouldn’t have to live in poverty,” he said.
Obama stressed that most people accept that some will earn more than others.
But he added: “Americans overwhelmingly agree that no one who works full time should ever have to raise a family in poverty.”
The push for higher wages comes amid a recovery from the 2008-2009 economic crisis that sees wealthy Americans making more than ever, but most of the country’s real wages still below where they were prior to the crisis.
Obama proposed other new measures to help poorer citizens including a new “starter” retirement savings plan that will have the government’s backing and broader tax credits for low-income families.
In addition, he called on Congress to reinstate unemployment support payments for some 1.6 million jobless Americans that were cut off at the beginning of the year as part of a budget deal.
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