Obama: US has offered no 'freebies' to Iran

Exposing a rift with Israel, President Barack Obama on Sunday insisted that the United States has not given anything away in new talks with Iran as he defended his continued push for a diplomatic resolution to the dispute over Tehrans nuclear ambitions.Obama said he refused to let the talks turn into a stalling process, but believed there was still time for diplomacy.His assessment, delivered at the close of a Latin American summit in Colombia, came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday had said the U.S. and world powers gave Tehran a freebie by agreeing to hold more talks next month.Obama shot back: The notion that somehow weve given something away or a freebie would indicate Iran has gotten something. In fact, theyve got some of the toughest sanctions that theyre going to be facing coming up in just a few months if they dont take advantage of these talks.Still, in a news conference here, Obama warned to Iran, The clocks ticking.Winding down his three-day trip in the port city of Cartagena, Obama also sought to offer hope for fresh start with Cuba, saying the U.S. would welcome the communist-run islands transition to democracy. There could be an opportunity for such a shift in the coming years, Obama said.Standing alongside Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, Obama also proclaimed a free-trade agreement between their countries as a win all-around, even as labor leaders back home denounced it. Obama announced that the trade pact can be fully enforced next month, now that Colombia has enacted a series of protections for workers and labor unions.Obama had hoped to keep his role in the Summit of the Americas focused on the economy and the prospect of the regions rapid economic rise as a growth opportunity for American businesses.But that message was quickly overshadowed by an alleged prostitution scandal involving Secret Service personnel who were in Colombia to set up security for Obamas trip. The president said Sunday that he expected a full, rigorous investigation of the allegations, and said he would be angry if the accusations turn out to be true.