Obama: Don’t Justify the War in Iraq with Iran

ABC News’ Sunlen Miller Reports: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., capitalized on President Bush’s use of "World War III" in referring to Iran, at a town hall event in Reno, Thursday.

"This kid of ‘bring it on’ rhetoric is dangerous, it is irresponsible, and it has led directly to the increased threat from Iran and America’s decreased ability to lead the world," he said.

Speaking before a 2,000 person crowd at a town hall event in Reno, Nevada, Obama urged to not repeat the mistakes of Iraq with Iran; to not justify a new war because of the old one.

"We shouldn’t be arguing that our troops should stay in Iraq for Iran," Obama said.

While admitting that Iran posed a threat and the need for international pressure is high, Obama said "George Bush and Dick Cheney hear us loud and clear: You don’t have our support, and you don’t have our authorization for another war."

Obama responded that the way to counter Iran threat is "not be keeping our troops in Iraq or voting for saber rattling amendments, and it’s certainly not by warning of World War III. The way to counter that threat is to end this war, to rally the world to our side, to regain our standing in the world and to launch the kind of tough, direct and sustained diplomacy that this President has disdained."

Obama, looking ahead to the general election and naming the top Republican contenders one by one by name, added, "When I am the nominee … my opponent won’t be able to say that I am being inconsistent for flip-flopping …(they) won’t be able to say that I agree with using the war in Iraq to justify military action with a war in Iran.

In a light hearted moment, he also gave a shout out to his newfound extended family member, "Cheney, my cousin."