Iran sanctions 'in weeks'

Iran sanctions 'in weeks'

President Obama says he's not interested in seeing a sanctions regime against Iran in months - he wants to see one within weeks.
 
He was speaking at a press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy after the two met for more than an hour at the White House.
 
In their private meeting, the pair discussed the Middle East, Afghanistan, financial reform, climate change and convincing countries to join UN Security Council sanctions against Iran's nuclear programme – something that's close, according to President Obama.
 
"We have to continue to apply pressure, not just on Iran but we have to make sure that we are communicating very clearly that this is very important to the United States." 
 
Question from reporter: "How long?" 
 
"Er, we think we can get sanctions within weeks ... I'm not interested in waiting months for a sanctions regime to be in place ... I'm interested in seeing that regime in place in weeks."
 
Away from the topic of Iran the two men had warm words for each other and expressed common ground on other key issues.
 
The meeting comes at the end of a year in which relations between Washington and Paris have been described by many as frosty.
 
However, President Obama's opening remarks seemed to say it all.  Whatever their difficulties in the past he and Nicolas Sarkozy are friends again.
 
"France is our oldest ally and one of our closest, we are two great republics bound by common ideals. We have stood together for more than two centuries from York Town to Normandy to Afghanistan."
 
The warm welcome was made all the more remarkable because President Sarkozy had recently criticised Obama on everything from his determination to pass healthcare reform to his views on nuclear disarmament.

Not on Tuesday.
 
"I think I can say that rarely in the community of our two countries has the community of views been so identical between the United States of America and France."
 
This was a crucially important visit for President Sarkozy with tumbling poll numbers and recent defeats in French regional elections.
 
For Obama it's a chance to get to know one of Europe's key pro American heads of state at a time when he needs the kind of help a visit to the White House for talks and dinner can bring back home in France.
 
PS: Earlier in the day before going to the White House, President Sarkozy had lunch at a famous Washington restaurant called Ben's Chilli Bowl. 
 
President Obama couldn't resist poking a little fun at him for eating there, especially as the French have such a well deserved reputation for fine cuisine. (Ben's Chilli Bowl is great ... but hardly the George V in Paris oui?)
 
President Sarkozy replied that when he'd walked in to Ben's place, he was greeted by an over-sized picture of President Obama and that when Obama next goes to Ben's he should look out for a much smaller picture of the French President which Sarkozy's team strategically left behind.