On Iran, Hillary has been right in her strong criticism of Bush
04 October 2007 3:10 pm by Taylor Marsh
TM NOTE: The
news that Hillary
Clinton was going to be a co-sponsor to Webb’s
Iran bill, which I broke, came as welcome news after she signed on to the
Lieberman-Kyl legislation, something on which I adamantly
disagreed. But since Wesley Clark had endorsed Clinton, it was fair to say
that her feelings on Iran were well away from the John “bomb-bomb-bomb”
McCain crowd. That Clark also has his picture splashed across a StopIranWar
site drives this point home. Today Wesley Clark takes the next step by supporting
Clinton’s Iran position, both her vote on Lieberman-Kyl, as well as her
co-sponsoring Webb’s Iran amendment. During the call where former Amb. Joseph
Wilson endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, Steve Clemons asked how his feelings
vis-Ã -vis Iran meshed with Senator Clinton’s. Wilson said they were of
one mind. Well after the Lieberman-Kyl vote, many of us wondered what Wilson
was thinking. He weighs in today in a special guest post I’m honored to feature.
On Iran, Hillary has been right in her strong criticism
of Bush
Expert Guest Post by (former) Ambassador Joseph Wilson
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I was pleased to see that last Monday Hillary joined Senator Jim Webb in co-sponsoring
a bill that would prohibit the use of funds for military action in Iran without
specific authorization from Congress. Last week, Hillary voted to support a
non-binding resolution that designates the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a
terrorist organization. As a former diplomat, I have had considerable experience
in the use of such resolutions to bring pressure – diplomatic pressure
– to bear on a regime to rein in rogue elements. And make no mistake about
it, the Guards are not only in operational control of Iran’s policy toward Iraq
and Afghanistan, where Iranian supplied munitions are costing American lives;
they are agents of reaction and repression inside Iran. While it is a fact that
the Bush administration’s duplicity should give all Americans pause, we cannot
afford to lose sight of the fact that we have real enemies in the world, and
that we must be prepared to exercise the appropriate levers of power in support
of our interests.
Both Hillary and Jim Webb correctly worry that the administration is considering
a preemptive military strike against Iran. That is why Hillary continues to
confront the Bush-Cheney White House and to challenge the legitimacy of any
attack against Iran without prior Congressional approval.
In February, at the first sign that the Bush-Cheney White House was laying
the groundwork for an unauthorized war against Tehran, Hillary drew a bright
red line in a speech on the Senate floor when she warned the President that
he lacked the authority to take the nation to war against Iran.
Hillary has been right in her strong criticism of the Bush administration’s
refusal to talk directly to Iran about its nuclear program. She has deplored
the refusal of the President to heed the counsel of senior statesmen like Jim
Baker and Lee Hamilton to pursue diplomatic solutions. As President she will
end the “shoot first, ask questions later” approach of this administration,
aggressively support bilateral diplomacy and rebuild our alliances. I am confident
that she will restore presidential leadership to the conduct of American foreign
policy and exercise prudent statesmanship rather than instigate reckless wars.
In the intervening fourteen months, until January 20, 2009, she will continue
to stand firm against any effort by this administration to sideline diplomacy,
circumvent the Congress, or send our troops into another preemptive war.
