Eveniment

Ynet Published: 01.15.09, 09:54 / Israel News

US President-elect Barack Obama said he plans to tackle the Israel-Hamas conflict immediately after he enters office on January 20th.

In an interview with CBS News anchor Katie Couric that aired overnight Thursday, Obama said "until January 20th we have one president at a time and that's George Bush. But, we are gonna start on day one. ( Future Secretary of State

"We can't kick the can down the road. We're gonna have to take a regional approach. We're gonna have to involve Syria in discussions. We're gonna have to engage Iran in ways that we have not before. We've gotta have a clear bottom line that Israel's security is paramount. But that also we have to create a two-state solution where people can live side by side in peace," he said.

Asked by Couric how important he thought it was to apprehend Osama bin Laden, Obama said "I think that we have to so weaken his infrastructure that, whether he is technically alive or not, he is so pinned down that he cannot function.

"My preference obviously would be to capture or kill him. But if we have so tightened the noose that he's in a cave somewhere and can't even communicate with his operatives, then we will meet our goal of protecting America," he added.