Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior National Correspondent Jake Tapper
October 28, 2008 11:39 AM
The respected Israeli newspaper Ha'artez reports that 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.'"
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., met with Sarkozy in July and they are said to have discussed Iran at length.
French authorities are said to be concerned that the international community doesn't take the Iranian threat seriously enough. French intelligence has concluded that Iran has already obtained up to 40% of the enriched uranium it needs for a bomb, the newspaper reports, and will have obtained the rest next summer.
"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,'" Ha'aretz reports. "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."
The Obama campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
-- jpt
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