Tuesday
Jun232009
Obama Holds Press Conference, Addresses Iran Demonstrations And Health Care Reform
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 2:34PM
President Barack Obama addressed the massive demonstrations in Iran that followed the country’s troubled Presidential election during a press conference Tuesday, praising what he described as the “courage and dignity of the Iranian people”.
“The Iranian people can speak for themselves. That is precisely what has happened these last few days. In 2009, no iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to the peaceful pursuit of justice,” said Obama.
The President stated that he would still be willing to establish diplomatic relations with Iran, a willingness that he had expressed during the 2008 election, but that the country would first need to cooperate with international norms and rules.
“There is a path available to Iran in which their sovereignty is respected, their traditions, their culture, their faith is respected, but one in which they are part of a larger community that has responsibilities.”
Although Obama did not say what consequences he believed the Iranian government should face following their violent, hard-line approach to the demonstrations, he did state that how the Islamic Republic treats their demonstrators will affect Iran’s standing on the world-stage.
When asked if he had seen the viral video featuring an alleged Basiji militiaman shooting a young protestor known as Neda in the chest, the President confirmed that he had.
“It’s heartbreaking, and I think anybody who sees it knows there is something fundamentally unjust about that,” Obama replied.
Health care reform also played a significant role in the nearly hour-long press conference.
The President was reluctant to say whether a public insurance option would be a required aspect of any new health care legislation, but did explain that a public plan made sense.
If...the insurance companies are saying is true: that they are doing the best to serve their customers, that they are in the business of keeping people well and giving them security when they get sick, they should be able to compete,” said Obama.
The President went on to say that if the public plan produced lower administrative costs than private insurance companies, then private companies should take note and model their own costs after the public plan.
On the issue of health, Obama did confirm that despite trying to quit, he still occasionally smokes cigarettes, although the President denied smoking on a daily basis.
“As a former smoker, I constantly struggle with it. Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes.”
“The Iranian people can speak for themselves. That is precisely what has happened these last few days. In 2009, no iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to the peaceful pursuit of justice,” said Obama.
The President stated that he would still be willing to establish diplomatic relations with Iran, a willingness that he had expressed during the 2008 election, but that the country would first need to cooperate with international norms and rules.
“There is a path available to Iran in which their sovereignty is respected, their traditions, their culture, their faith is respected, but one in which they are part of a larger community that has responsibilities.”
Although Obama did not say what consequences he believed the Iranian government should face following their violent, hard-line approach to the demonstrations, he did state that how the Islamic Republic treats their demonstrators will affect Iran’s standing on the world-stage.
When asked if he had seen the viral video featuring an alleged Basiji militiaman shooting a young protestor known as Neda in the chest, the President confirmed that he had.
“It’s heartbreaking, and I think anybody who sees it knows there is something fundamentally unjust about that,” Obama replied.
Health care reform also played a significant role in the nearly hour-long press conference.
The President was reluctant to say whether a public insurance option would be a required aspect of any new health care legislation, but did explain that a public plan made sense.
If...the insurance companies are saying is true: that they are doing the best to serve their customers, that they are in the business of keeping people well and giving them security when they get sick, they should be able to compete,” said Obama.
The President went on to say that if the public plan produced lower administrative costs than private insurance companies, then private companies should take note and model their own costs after the public plan.
On the issue of health, Obama did confirm that despite trying to quit, he still occasionally smokes cigarettes, although the President denied smoking on a daily basis.
“As a former smoker, I constantly struggle with it. Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes.”
Civil Rights Attorneys Want Bush Administration Lawyers Prosecuted
At a news conference Monday, prominent lawyers Bruce Fein and Kevin Zeese stated their intentions to file complaints against John Rizzo, the acting General Counsel of the CIA, and Jonathan Fredman, a lawyer for the Director of National Intelligence. Rizzo and Fredman have facilitated war crimes yet are still receiving government paychecks, said Zeese.
The United States has been criticized for allegedly torturing individuals at Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, and Bagram Air Force Base.
Zeese also stated that the “United Nations Convention Against Torture”, which was signed by President Ronald Reagan, requires the prevention of torture. Therefore, if President Obama does not prosecute Rizzo and Fredman he would be in violation of the law.
Fein, who served as an attorney under President Reagan, criticized the United States for covering up torture in the name of political expediency, rather than prosecuting those involved with it. “That’s what the Soviet Union would do. That’s what China would do, not the United States of America,” said Fein.
“The toxicity of torture is a poison in our body politic, and there is only one way to remove it. And it’s not to sweep it under the rug. We have to look at the facts, understand what happened, and then hold those accountable through the rule of law,” said Zeese.