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September 26, 2012

Obama Addresses Middle East Film Protests, Iran in U.N. Speech 
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President Obama addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday with a
heavy focus on the wave of anti-U.S. government protests that have swept
Muslim countries and the killing of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens
and three staffers in Libya. Obama again condemned the anti-Islam film
that set off the unrest, but said no speech can justify violence.

President Obama: "I have made it clear that the United States government
had nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be
rejected by all who respect our common humanity. It is an insult not
only to Muslims, but to America as well. In 2012, at a time when anyone
with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the
click of a button, the notion that we can control the flow of
information is obsolete. The question, then, is how we respond. And on
this we must agree: there is no speech that justifies mindless
violence."

Obama also addressed ongoing tensions with Iran, criticizing Tehran for
backing the Assad regime in Syria and saying he hopes to resolve the
nuclear standoff through diplomacy.

President Obama: "Just as it restricts the rights of its own people, the
Iranian government continues to prop up a dictator in Damascus and
supports terrorist groups abroad. Time and again, it has failed to take
the opportunity to demonstrate that its nuclear program is peaceful, and
to meet its obligations to the United Nations. So let me be clear,
America wants to resolve this issue through diplomacy, and we believe
that there is still time and space to do so."

 

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