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“It’s not a precondition to say he’ll only do it to advance our interests,” said Obama foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough.
McDonough said Obama has never promised to meet with Iran’s leaders. He’s simply said that he is willing to meet with Iran’s leaders. “And the key word there is willing. The idea that some have suggested is that he has promised a meeting. That is not the case and never was the case. He argued then as he argued today that he is willing to meet as it advances our interests.”
But take another look at what Obama said during last July’s Democratic debate sponsored by CNN and Youtube. The question is clear, and so is his response:
QUESTION: “Would you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea?”
OBAMA: “I would. And the reason is this: The notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them — which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration — is ridiculous. Ronald Reagan constantly spoke to the Soviet Union at a time when he called them an evil empire. He understood that we may not trust them, and they may pose an extraordinary danger to this country, but we had the obligation to find areas where we can potentially move forward. And I think that it is a disgrace that we have not spoken to them.”

abcnews.go.com