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Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. (AP)
Last update - 18:24 20/09/2008
Obama campaign cries foul after Republicans block Iran divestment bill
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Iran, Barack Obama 

Barack Obama's U.S. presidential campaign on Friday criticized Republican resistance to the Iran divestment provision authored by the Illinois senator, saying it would have been able to significantly set back the Islamic Republic's nuclear weapons program, and blaming partisan politics for the bill's failure.

"Once again, Senator McCain and his Republican allies put partisanship ahead of our national security and the security of our ally Israel," said a statement issued by the Obama camp, after the bill was voted down by Senate Republicans on Friday.

Some predicted the Republicans would scuttle the passage of the bill, in order to prevent Obama from achieving a prominent legislative victory while he and McCain are locked in a close presidential race.
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Senator Dick Durbin held a conference call interview later on Friday, saying "Senator Obama's commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is firm and I'm sorry his important legislation was stopped."

Durbin added that the issue of Iran's nuclear program "is not political. A republican senator was my co-sponsor for the bill and Senator Obama led bipartisan sponsorship."

He also said that Obama's belief in stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons is "very clear, his belief that we should use sanctions and divestment for this purpose, is also clear.

The bill would have required the Treasury Department to publish a list every 6 months of companies investing in Iran's energy sector - thus allowing states to divest their pension funds from companies that support Iran's oil and gas industry.

Sen. Durbin also mentioned the controversy surrounding the withdrawal of an invitation for Republican Vice Presidential candidate to attend an anti-Iran rally in New York, saying "it's very tense political time, the election is so close, and I think there were basic mistakes made in organizing this rally, I'm not being negative, but I think the way the invitations were issued created a problem. I'm sure they never intended this to happen, but it did."

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      1.   Divestment....most states in the US 00:08  |  Lynn 20/09/08
      2.   McCain`s party putting Big Oil lobbyist ahead of Israel 00:14  |  Pablo B 20/09/08
      3.   IRAN can`t be cornered 00:20  |  whatever 20/09/08
      4.   Israel, say: Thank you, GOP 00:24  |  Mark B. 20/09/08
      5.   McCain has helped to block other things. Was he a war criminal? 00:44  |  Maureen Ann 20/09/08
      6.   Republicans = plutocratic GUARD 01:25  |  Akiva P 20/09/08
      7.   foul 02:10  |  Shmuelshachor 20/09/08
      8.   Democrats have vetoed everything in the last 8 years 05:09  |  Dish It Out 20/09/08
      9.   Don`t be fooled ! 05:27  |  A. 20/09/08
      10.   HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? TELL ME 06:19  |  indrajaya 20/09/08
      11.   Obama opposed Kyle-Lieberman 08:19  |  David 20/09/08
      12.   obama not even seriously campainging ... 08:29  |  jc 20/09/08
      13.   McCain called for it too 10:27  |  Carol 20/09/08
      14.   Divest Terror Initiative 10:31  |  Carol 20/09/08
      15.   # 11, DAVID IN SANTA BARBARA 10:59  |  indrajaya 20/09/08
      16.   Whatever Obama`s reasons for introducing the bill 12:06  |  Yonatan 20/09/08
      17.   Hardly surprising 13:18  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/09/08
      18.   8: Dish it out is another fool ignorant about democracy 15:30  |  David Teich 20/09/08
      19.   mAureen Ann-READ the book not a blogfrom EXTREME left 15:50  |  Arie 20/09/08
      20.   Just curious if anyone heard the obama plan 15:53  |  Arie 20/09/08
      21.   Only Ben Jabo Ben Tize can prevent Iran from becoming nuclear 16:31  |  Aounist 20/09/08
      22.   #10 INDY......because a majority voted it down 16:44  |  Lynn 20/09/08
      23.   What the Obama Bill doesn`t cover 16:50  |  Lynn 20/09/08
      24.   #16 Yonatan......the State Senates 17:18  |  Lynn 20/09/08
      25.   Lesson on US Congress for Indrjaya (and others) 21:37  |  Voice of Reason 20/09/08
      26.   17, Lindtwat, tell that to the Marines killed in Lebanon via Hezb 22:12  |  The Equalizer 20/09/08
      27.   Diplomacy & sanctions dont work we have known that for years 00:17  |  zionist forever 21/09/08
      28.   Halliburton and Iran 02:14  |  Mark Lincoln 21/09/08
      29.   Where are the Republican Quotes? 04:22  |  UD 21/09/08
      30.   27 Zionist Forever - Bush 1st Offer a Lie 07:34  |  Mark of Lewiston 21/09/08
      31.   Obama the enemy of Israel will invite the Iranians to White House 08:57  |  j 21/09/08
      32.   Obama is bad for Israel. 09:09  |  Jonathan Davis 21/09/08
      33.   More lies from Israel 09:37  |  marko 21/09/08
      34.   Let`s pass an Israel divestment bill 19:24  |  Advocate4Liberty 21/09/08
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