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Patriot Games
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http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/candidates_iran/2007/10/30/45015.html
Candidates Widely Split on Iran
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
NEW YORK -- The top presidential contenders are offering markedly different
ideas on how they would keep Iran from getting nuclear weapons, suddenly a
central issue in the 2008 campaign.
Republicans Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney have taken a hard
line, speaking openly about a possible military strike in Iran, even as they
say they support diplomatic measures to persuade the country to abandon its
nuclear ambitions.
Democrats say they favor multinational diplomacy, combined with economic
incentives as well as sanctions. They've repeatedly criticized President
Bush for refusing to negotiate with Iran, and say they would consider
military action only after exhausting other options.
Among themselves, they've turned the question into a proxy battle between
front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton and her rivals over issues of foreign
policy experience, judgment and leadership.
Rand Beers, who has worked as a national security adviser to both Republican
and Democratic presidents, sees a subtext to all the rhetoric.
"For Republicans, Iran represents a much more comfortable foreign policy
subject to talk about than Iraq. It's a hard-nosed, hawkish credentialing
and branding issue," Beers said. "On the Democratic side, there is far less
saber rattling. They are trying to distinguish themselves from Bush and
promote a dialogue and find common ground with Iran, which there may not
be."
There is little doubt that relations between Iran and the U.S. have reached
a toxic and potentially dangerous level _ a situation the next president is
likely to inherit in some fashion.
Iran has refused to back down on its nuclear aspirations, saying it seeks
electricity, not weapons. According to the U.S. government, it also has
sponsored terrorism throughout the Middle East and continues to support
Shiite militias in Iraq that have been involved in attacking American
soldiers.
The Bush administration last week slapped tough new sanctions on Iran, and
the president recently warned that a nuclear Iran could lead to World War
III.
That kind of rhetoric has been echoed and amplified in the GOP presidential
contest.
Former New York Mayor Giuliani, former Tennessee Sen. Thompson and former
Massachusetts Gov. Romney have spoken of a willingness to take pre-emptive
military action against Iran if necessary. Giuliani has been especially
vocal, promising a strike if Iran develops a weapon during his presidency.
Romney last month proposed indicting Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
on a charge of inciting genocide.
John McCain, the Arizona senator and Vietnam War hero, has been somewhat
less bellicose. But he told The Associated Press that "there's only one
thing worse than military action against Iran and that is a nuclear-armed
Iran."
Clinton's vote in favor of a Senate measure designating Iran's Revolutionary
Guard a terrorist group has made her a target of stinging criticism from
several Democratic rivals. That vote is expected to be a major point of
contention Tuesday when the candidates meet in a two-hour debate in
Philadelphia.
Fellow Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and former Sen. John Edwards of North
Carolina say Bush could interpret the measure as congressional approval for
a military attack. Clinton has vigorously denied that would be the result
and says she was voting for stepped-up diplomacy and economic sanctions.
For her part, Clinton contends that comments by Obama on personal diplomacy
with countries like Iran are evidence that the Illinois senator is too
inexperienced to lead in a dangerous world.
In a July debate, Obama was asked if he would be willing to meet, without
precondition, the leaders of Iran and other unfriendly nations during the
first year of his presidency. He replied, "I would."
Clinton said that showed Obama was "irresponsible" and "naive" on foreign
policy matters. The former first lady, now a New York senator, has called
for more direct diplomacy with Iran and countries such as North Korea, but
has also said she would not commit to leader-to-leader meetings.
Paul Pillar, a professor of security studies at Georgetown University, said
candidates on both sides could do a better job speaking responsibly about
the complex problem of Iran.
"The campaign rhetoric hasn't been particularly illuminating on this issue,"
Pillar said. "On the Democratic side, there has been too much silliness on
the issue of engagement, and a candidate's particular choice of words for
conditions for talking. The rhetoric on the Republican side ignores a bunch
of important questions _ the Iranian response, our standing in the region
and around the world, and poisoning relations with Iran for generations to
come."
Candidates Widely Split on Iran
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
NEW YORK -- The top presidential contenders are offering markedly different
ideas on how they would keep Iran from getting nuclear weapons, suddenly a
central issue in the 2008 campaign.
Republicans Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney have taken a hard
line, speaking openly about a possible military strike in Iran, even as they
say they support diplomatic measures to persuade the country to abandon its
nuclear ambitions.
Democrats say they favor multinational diplomacy, combined with economic
incentives as well as sanctions. They've repeatedly criticized President
Bush for refusing to negotiate with Iran, and say they would consider
military action only after exhausting other options.
Among themselves, they've turned the question into a proxy battle between
front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton and her rivals over issues of foreign
policy experience, judgment and leadership.
Rand Beers, who has worked as a national security adviser to both Republican
and Democratic presidents, sees a subtext to all the rhetoric.
"For Republicans, Iran represents a much more comfortable foreign policy
subject to talk about than Iraq. It's a hard-nosed, hawkish credentialing
and branding issue," Beers said. "On the Democratic side, there is far less
saber rattling. They are trying to distinguish themselves from Bush and
promote a dialogue and find common ground with Iran, which there may not
be."
There is little doubt that relations between Iran and the U.S. have reached
a toxic and potentially dangerous level _ a situation the next president is
likely to inherit in some fashion.
Iran has refused to back down on its nuclear aspirations, saying it seeks
electricity, not weapons. According to the U.S. government, it also has
sponsored terrorism throughout the Middle East and continues to support
Shiite militias in Iraq that have been involved in attacking American
soldiers.
The Bush administration last week slapped tough new sanctions on Iran, and
the president recently warned that a nuclear Iran could lead to World War
III.
That kind of rhetoric has been echoed and amplified in the GOP presidential
contest.
Former New York Mayor Giuliani, former Tennessee Sen. Thompson and former
Massachusetts Gov. Romney have spoken of a willingness to take pre-emptive
military action against Iran if necessary. Giuliani has been especially
vocal, promising a strike if Iran develops a weapon during his presidency.
Romney last month proposed indicting Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
on a charge of inciting genocide.
John McCain, the Arizona senator and Vietnam War hero, has been somewhat
less bellicose. But he told The Associated Press that "there's only one
thing worse than military action against Iran and that is a nuclear-armed
Iran."
Clinton's vote in favor of a Senate measure designating Iran's Revolutionary
Guard a terrorist group has made her a target of stinging criticism from
several Democratic rivals. That vote is expected to be a major point of
contention Tuesday when the candidates meet in a two-hour debate in
Philadelphia.
Fellow Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and former Sen. John Edwards of North
Carolina say Bush could interpret the measure as congressional approval for
a military attack. Clinton has vigorously denied that would be the result
and says she was voting for stepped-up diplomacy and economic sanctions.
For her part, Clinton contends that comments by Obama on personal diplomacy
with countries like Iran are evidence that the Illinois senator is too
inexperienced to lead in a dangerous world.
In a July debate, Obama was asked if he would be willing to meet, without
precondition, the leaders of Iran and other unfriendly nations during the
first year of his presidency. He replied, "I would."
Clinton said that showed Obama was "irresponsible" and "naive" on foreign
policy matters. The former first lady, now a New York senator, has called
for more direct diplomacy with Iran and countries such as North Korea, but
has also said she would not commit to leader-to-leader meetings.
Paul Pillar, a professor of security studies at Georgetown University, said
candidates on both sides could do a better job speaking responsibly about
the complex problem of Iran.
"The campaign rhetoric hasn't been particularly illuminating on this issue,"
Pillar said. "On the Democratic side, there has been too much silliness on
the issue of engagement, and a candidate's particular choice of words for
conditions for talking. The rhetoric on the Republican side ignores a bunch
of important questions _ the Iranian response, our standing in the region
and around the world, and poisoning relations with Iran for generations to
come."