During his quick jaunt to Paris on Friday, Barack Obama sent a direct message to Iran, cautioning it to stop enriching uranium or “the pressure … is only going to build.” Obama had the chance to chat briefly with President Nicolas Sarkozy, who told him that the French would be “delighted” if he won in November’s election.


The New York Times:

At a joint news conference in the Elysee Palace, Mr. Obama repeated the themes of his speech Thursday night in Berlin, saying that the United States wanted a strong Europe able to share in the collective defense, needed European help in Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, welcomed European help in the Middle East and valued allied contributions in shared problems like global terrorism, poverty and climate change.

The problem of climate change, Mr. Obama said, would be “one of my highest priorities” if elected president in November.

Both men agreed that Afghanistan is “a war we have to win,” Mr. Obama said, vowing to send two more American brigades to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda there. Mr. Sarkozy, who has already sent another 700 French combat troops, said that “we are not allowed to fail” in Afghanistan and let the Taliban again “prevent 6 million little girls from going to school.”

Read more

WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...

This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.

At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.

Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.

Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.

Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.

Donate now.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG