U.S. Republican presidential hopeful John McCain called his Democratic nemesis Barack Obama’s willingness to hold direct talks with North Korea without any preconditions attached, so as to resolve the deadlocked nuclear progress, a display of being “naive,” Yonhap News reported Saturday.
“I will sit down with anybody but there's got to be preconditions," Sen. McCain (R-Arizona) said in his first nationally televised presidential debate with Illinois Senator Obama Friday.
Obama, for his part, called for talks without preconditions, denouncing the Bush administration for having allowed the North time to produce nuclear weapons amid a lack of proper engagement.
"In North Korea, we cut off talks. They're a member of the axis of evil. We can't deal with them. And you know what happened ?" Obama said.
"This notion that by not talking to people we are punishing them has not worked," Obama said. "It has not worked in Iran. It has not worked in North Korea."
Citing former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Obama said, "We should have contacts without preconditions. The idea is that we do not expect to solve every problem before we initiate talks. And you know, the Bush administration has come to recognize that it hasn't worked, this notion that we are simply silent when it comes to our enemies."
Obama said he reserves "the right as president of the United States to meet with anybody at a time and place of my choosing if I think it's going to keep America safe."
Despite Obama’s public display of willingness to talk with Kim Jong-il when he wins the presidency, he might not actually follow through his election pledges, an American observer said.
“Often times, candidates can say things that they might want to do. But once in office, they might find it difficult to do so,” Asia Society’s Director of Policy Programs and Korean expert Michael Kulma told The Korea Times in a telephone interview.
“Obama may have [the meeting with Kim Jong-il] in his mind as something he would like to do when he becomes the president. But once in office, he might find a much different situation. The circumstances might dictate he wouldn't be able to do that,” Kulma said.