By CHARLES HURT, Bureau Chief
May 17, 2008
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama fired back at President Bush yesterday, accusing him of an "appalling attack" for suggesting that the Democratic presidential hopeful wanted to appease America's enemies.
"Now, that's exactly the kind of appalling attack that's divided our country and that alienates us from the world," Obama said.
"And that's why we need change in Washington. That's part of the reason why I'm running for president of the United States of America."
Speaking before the Israeli Knesset earlier this week, Bush laced into those who believe that the United States should negotiate with leaders of terrorist states.
Last summer, Obama said emphatically during one of the Democratic debates he would gladly meet with the leaders of Iran and Syria and other sworn enemies of America "without preconditions."
Yesterday in Watertown, S.D., Obama accused the president, along with Republican John McCain, of smearing him with "dishonest, divisive" accusations.
"John McCain has repeated this notion that I'm prepared to negotiate with terrorists," Obama said.
"I have never said that. I have been adamant about not negotiating with Hamas, a terrorist organization that has vowed to destroy Israel and won't recognize them."
Iran - one of the nations Obama said he'd negotiate with - is listed as a state sponsor of terror, is committed to destroying Israel and, according to the military, has supplied weapons and bombs that have killed and maimed US troops in Iraq.
Obama was mercilessly attacked over his negotiation promise at the time by Hillary Rodham Clinton.
"It's time to present Iran with a clear choice. If it abandons its nuclear program, support for terror and threats to Israel, then Iran can rejoin the community of nations," Obama said yesterday.
"If not, Iran will face deeper isolation and steeper sanctions. But in the Bush-McCain world view, everyone who disagrees with their failed Iran policy is an 'appeaser.' "
The White House, meanwhile, said yesterday that Bush did not mean to reference Obama in his remarks, though everyone, including Obama and his fellow Democrats, assumed Bush was talking about Obama's foreign policy.
If anyone, top Bush adviser Ed Gillespie said yesterday, Bush figured people might assume he was talking about former President Jimmy Carter, who met last month with the leaders of Hamas. With Post Wire Services
churt@nypost.com
