Citing the disastrous 2003 US invasion of Iraq as an example, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today warned that by continuing to refuse to abandon its civilian nuclear program, Iran was risking the possibility of an invasion by the US or “some other enemy that would do that to them.”
The comments came during an interview on ABC’s “This Week” program, and when asked by interviewer and former Clinton-era official George Stephanopoulus, Secretary Clinton reiterated “that’s right, as a first strike.”
The bulk of the interview emphasized US opposition to the Iranian program, along with unquestioned claims that the nation was pursuing nuclear weapons. Secretary Clinton also extended the American nuclear umbrella over Israel in the event that Iran attacked them.
Considering it was no more than 72 hours ago that President Obama made his historic call for a “new beginning” to US relations with the Muslim world, it seems incredible that his administration is already raising the prospect of an Iraq-style invasion of Iran.
Already six years in, the Iraq occupation has killed thousands of US soldiers, sucked trillions from the American economy, and is stretching the military to its limits. It is unfathomable that with this war still far from over, the Obama Administration is considering an Iraq redux in its larger neighbor to the east.
Forget Iraq… the US is now just a Paper Tiger … Clinton needs to rest … and remember that she lost the election against Hussein Obama.
Peacegeek-please read the next lines…..Jason Ditz is right. I may add Hillary Rodenhurst (Clinton) is piltering again :^(
Clinton:Now, let me just put it this way: If Iran is seeking security, if they believe — and, you know, you have to put yourself into the shoes of the other party when you negotiate — if they believe that the United States might attack them the way that we did attack Iraq, for example…
STEPHANOPOULOS: Before they attack, as a first strike?
CLINTON: That's right, as a first strike, or they might have some other enemy that would do that to them, part of what we have to make clear to the Iranians is that their pursuit of nuclear weapons will actually trigger greater insecurity, because, right now, many of the nations in the neighborhood, as you know very well…
STEPHANOPOULOS: Because Israel will strike before they can finish?
CLINTON: Well, but not only that. I mean, other countries, other Arab countries are deeply concerned about Iran having nuclear weapons. So does Iran want to face a battery of nuclear weapons countries
After reading the transcript I think Peacegeek is right and that Jason Ditz made a mistake. I've watched Stephanopoulos before but until I read this transcript, I never realized what an annoying interviewer he is and how his questions confuse the issue.
Iran is no threat to the U.S. or any of its neighbors. Because Iran is an enemy of Israel, and because the vicious Israel lobby runs America and our foreign policy, we are one provocation away from getting into a more insane war than the one in Iraq that the Israel lobby and their Zionist neoconservatives in the Bush administration got us into. The U.S. will never be safe until we end our expensive and dangerous alliance with the warmongering, criminal nation of Israel. One can read about this in Scott Ritter's excellent book " Target Iran " ( I think that's the name ) where Ritter states " If there is a war with Iran, it will be a war created in Israel and rammed through by their powerful lobby in Washington." The American people should fear the Israel lobby.
Very misleading caption. The author should be ashamed. Listen to the entire interview, and there is no way anyone with a clear conscience could print a slanderous headline such as is printed here. Geeeezzzz!!! http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/06/clinton-i…
This article is unfortunately inaccurate and misleading — for Hillary Clinton did not a issue a warning that by "continuing to refuse to abandon its civilian nuclear program, Iran was risking the possibility of an invasion by the US or “some other enemy that would do that to them.” What she did say was an answer to a hypothetical question from Stephanopoulos that the US would retaliate if Iran launched a first nuclear strike against Israel. Jason Ditz simply failed to review the transcript of the interview that is available for all to read at: <a href=”http://www.abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/Politics/story…” target=”_blank”>http://www.abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/Politics/story…
In other remarks, Clinton explicitly stated the official US line that Iran will be permitted the peaceful development of nuclear energy. It is simply enough to refer to the online transcript. Jason Ditz simply made a mistake — and this masthead headline is now threatening the excellent reputation of antiwar.com — I wish it were not so, but it is.
In my humble opinion, this article should be pulled or re-written as a matter of course.
Thanks Peacegeek for the link – I read it the same way and think the article misleading.
The $20.00 gas prices will be good for everybody!! Big Oil, Iran, Texas and Saudi Arabia…..Is there anyone else?? Luv the Photo!! What a sweetheart…. But isn't threatening NON NUCLEAR states with nuclear "action(s)" a violation of NPT..???
Obama & Clinton do and say exactly what they are told by theirIsraeli handlers in the white house.