[Marxism] Did Clinton threaten to attack Iran "the way we did" Iraq. Not especially..

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanx and a tip of the Feldman hat to Eli Stephens (of the Marxmail list)
for correcting the tendentiously garbled version of Clinton's comments
presented by Antiwar.com. Facts are superior to demagogy anytime, and only
the truth will lead us to freedom.
Fred


Correcting my post, Eli submitted the transcript of this section of the
Stephanopoulos interview with Clinton:
STEPHANOPOULOS: Your own envoy, Dennis Ross, has said one way to strengthen
the position of the United States going into these negotiations is to make
it very clear that, if Iran used nuclear weapons against Israel or any U.S.
ally, that would be met as an attack on the United States, full response.
Now, that was your position during the campaign, as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) 

CLINTON: I would make it clear to the Iranians that an attack on Israel
would incur massive retaliation from the United States.
[END VIDEO CLIP]

STEPHANOPOULOS: Is it U.S. policy now? 

CLINTON: I think it is U.S. policy to the extent that we have alliances and
understandings with a number of nations. They may not be formal, as it is
with NATO, but I don't think there is any doubt in anyone's mind that, were
Israel to suffer a nuclear attack by Iran, there would be retaliation.

STEPHANOPOULOS: By the United States? 

CLINTON: Well, I think there would be retaliation. And I think part of what
is clear is, we want to avoid a -- a Middle East arms race which leads to
nuclear weapons being in the possession of other countries in the Middle
East, and we want to make clear that there are consequences and costs. 

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... {CROSSTALK) 

STEPHANOPOULOS: Can you get those other Arab nations to say that publicly?
That was part of the president's theme today.

CLINTON: Well, you know, we've been there a little over four months. And
clearly a lot of what we are doing is teeing up our framework for
decision-making. 

We are aggressively pursuing diplomacy, not as an end in itself, but as a
means to try to resolve some of these outstanding and very difficult
problems. We are trying to make clear that the United States is of course
going to pursue our interests in values, but, frankly, we believe there are
ways that we can make them consonant with the issues and values that are
important to others, as well. 

STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, when I saw President Ahmadinejad last month, he
said the U.S. wasn't really walking the walk here, and he cited the idea
that President Obama never responded to his initial letter of
congratulations. Why not? 

CLINTON: Well, I think that President Obama has made very clear that he is
going to put forth an open hand, but not as part of an electoral ploy or
propaganda. 

STEPHANOPOULOS: You have to let the elections play out? 

CLINTON: I think, just like in every country, there is a process that takes
place during an election. That will be over soon, and then we're going to
hope to get a positive process going.



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