NYT: Obama Warns Against Direct Involvement by U.S. in Iran
WASHINGTON — President Obama said Tuesday that it would be counterproductive for the United States “to be seen as meddling” in the disputed Iranian presidential election, dismissing criticism from several leading Republicans that he has failed to speak out forcefully enough on behalf of the Iranian opposition.
Although the president said he had “deep concerns about the election,” he also said that any direct involvement by the United States would not be “productive, given the history of U.S.-Iranian relations.” How Iran goes about electing its leaders and establishing freer debate and democratic principles, he told reporters at the White House, “is something ultimately for the Iranian people to decide.”