WASHINGTON-
U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday expressed resistance to new sanctions on Iran and pledged to press ahead with the planned troop withdrawal from Afghanistan as he charted his foreign policies priorities in his fifth State of the Union address.
Addressing a joint session of Congress’ two chambers, Obama vowed he would veto any new sanctions bill against Iran while world powers discussed with Tehran on a wide-ranging deal on its nuclear programs.
“If this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it,” Obama said Tuesday.
He urged the lawmakers to “give diplomacy a chance to succeed,” saying it was diplomacy, backed by pressure that had halted the progress of Iran’s nuclear program and rolled parts of it back for the first time in a decade.
If Iran’s leaders did not seize the opportunity of negotiations, Obama said, he would be the first to call for more sanctions and stand ready to “exercise all options” to make sure Iran did not build a nuclear weapon.
As the United States wound down its military role in Afghanistan, he challenged the Afghan government to sign a security pact allowing for a limited American military presence in the country.
“If the Afghan government signs a security agreement that we have negotiated, a small force of Americans could remain in Afghanistan with NATO allies,” he said.
“After 2014, we will support a unified Afghanistan as it takes responsibility for its own future,” Obama said.
Obama also warned the threat of al-Qaida had evolved, with its affiliates and other extremists taking root in different parts of the world, highlighting hotspots such as Yemen, Somalia, Iraq and Mali.
In “a world of complex threats,” the president promised to seek diplomatic means to ensure U.S. leadership and security, expressing his opposition to large-scale military deployments overseas.
Obama also vowed to continue to focus on the Asia-Pacific region, where the United States seeks to support its allies and shape a future of “greater security and prosperity.”
Obama hailed U.S. diplomacy as a strong force behind the country’s security and leadership, contending
Obama also called on Congress to lift restrictions on transferring detainees from the prison at Guantanamo Bay so it could be closed this year.
“We counter terrorism not just through intelligence and military action, but by remaining true to our constitutional ideals, and setting an example for the rest of the world,” he said.
