Obama says US, Germany condemn Iranian effort to crush dissent as Merkel visits White House

Obama: US, Germany condemn Iranian behavior

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Friday the United States and Germany share “one voice” in condemning the Iranian effort to crush dissent. He said Iran’s leaders cannot hide the “outrageous” behavior of clamping down violently on their people.

“We see it and we condemn it,” Obama said.

Obama spoke in a joint White House appearance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after they conferred privately. The two leaders have met three times since Obama took office, allies linked by such international troubles as the war in Afghanistan and a worldwide recession.

Keeping pressure on Iran, Obama hailed the Iranian people.

“Their bravery in the face of brutality is a testament to their enduring pursuit of justice,” Obama said.

“The violence perpetrated against them is outrageous. In spite of the government’s efforts to keep the world from bearing witness to that violence, we see it and we condemn it,” he said.

Merkel backed Obama’s stand. And she said Iran must be kept from getting a nuclear weapon.

Iran’s violent postelection chaos has captured the world’s attention and elicited increasingly sharp condemnations from Obama. Iran’s ruling clergy have widened the clampdown on the opposition since a bitterly disputed June 12 presidential election, and scattered protests have replaced the initial mass rallies.

At least 17 people have been killed in a state-led crackdown on protesters.

Incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was proclaimed the landslide winner over opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Obama’s comments on Friday got more direct about the two leaders.

He said Mousavi had captured the spirit and imagination of the Iranian people who want a more free society.

And he dismissed statements by Ahmadinejad, who on Thursday compared Obama to former President George W. Bush. Obama said he is not meddling in Iran’s affairs but rather calling for principles to be upheld that reflect “universal norms, international norms.”