Obama chides Clinton's 'cowboy' talk on Iran

By Patrick Rucker

WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama accused rival Hillary Clinton of saber rattling toward Iran on Sunday and compared her approach to that of unpopular Republican President George W. Bush.

"I think it's language that's reflective of George Bush. We have had a foreign policy of bluster and saber rattling," Obama said of Clinton's threat to "totally obliterate" Iran if it attacked Israel.

"It is important that we use language that sends a signal to the world community that we're shifting from the sort of cowboy diplomacy, or lack of diplomacy, that we've seen out of George Bush," the Illinois senator said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Obama and Clinton sat for simultaneous TV interviews on different networks two days before primary contests in North Carolina and Indiana, the latest states to vote in the nominating process to determine who will take on Republican John McCain in the November election.

On ABC's "This Week," Clinton stood behind her remarks.

"Yes, we would have massive retaliation against Iran," the New York senator said.

Such an attack on Iran is unlikely, Clinton said, "but I sure want to make it abundantly clear that they would face a tremendous cost if they did such a thing."

The Bush administration accuses Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons and says it could consider using military force to stop it. Iran says its nuclear program is for producing electricity.