Hillary Clinton gets tough on Iran

Wed, 07/08/2009 - 10:26am

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, June 27, 2009 

In an interview with private TV network Globovision that was broadcast Tuesday in Venezuela, Secretary Clinton got tough on Iran, calling for "even stricter" sanctions and saying its "pursuit of nuclear weapons" would "be very destabilizing in the Middle East and beyond."

Some sound bites:

We would ask the world to join us in imposing even stricter sanctions on Iran to try to change the behavior of the regime.

We have seen in the last weeks that Iran has not respected its own democracy.

It has taken actions against his own citizens for peacefully protesting. ["His" referring to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.]

I think it is not a very smart position to ally with a regime that is being rejected by so many of their own people.

Last month, most of you voted that Clinton should be speaking out more about the Iranian election and its aftermath. It looks like Clinton is doing just that.

As for why Clinton did an interview with a Venezuelan TV network? She's trying to ease the tense relationship between the United States and Venezuela. She reached out (literally) to President Hugo Chávez in April, and the United States recently returned its ambassador to Venezuela. Clinton told Globovision, "We are trying to lower the temperature. … We want to make it clear that there are ways for us to have a conversation with people we don't agree with on many issues."

Photo: ARASH KHAMOOSHI/AFP/Getty Images

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Iran and USA: Responsibility and where did we go wrong?

by Saint Michael T... on Wed, 07/08/2009 - 2:41pm

Do we bear some responsibility for election and re-election of Ahmadinejad? Yes we do!

Paul Findley, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, April 1998, Pages 32, 101:
“If President Clinton does not quickly come up with a generous, cooperative response he will leave a sorely embarrassed Khatami hanging, twisting in the wind—an easy target for the radical religious leadership within Iran that opposes any rapprochement with the United States and seems to have control over most foreign policy questions. The hard-liners in the Iranian government will have a field day and may well be able to discredit the new president, despite the 70 percent vote he received.”

Iranian Traditionalist (religious, very nationalistic, often poor, and under educated) voted for re-election of Ahmadinejad. In 1998 about 70% of the population voted for the progressive President Khatami. Why?

Our past political mistakes, and financial burdens we have placed on the Iranian people will not advance our long term American interests. The average family monthly income in Iran is less than $300. The Progressives are young, better educated and often the middle class segment of the Iranian population. Iranian college graduated young people have difficulty to find job. In spite of all attempts to create job, Iranian society has been handicapped by USA and many European nations’ trade restrictions and had to incorporate a large fraction of their national income on self-defense. We have continuously placed Iran in a defensive posture hoping that we could force the nation into a self-destruction by massive unemployment and poverty.

How can we help?
To assist the Progressive movement in Iran, allow a greater exchange between USA and Iran, remove the burdens placed on the Iranian people by economic sanctions and restrictions. It is foolish to punish the people for our disagreements with their government. By removing the burden, we allow change in demographics of Iran toward a larger middle class; thus, it will shift the internal Iranian policy from Traditionalists toward the Progressives.

Incoming IAEA Chief: No Sign Iran Seeking Nuclear Weapons http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-07-04-voa1.cfm.
We should not force Iran to convert the peaceful nuclear energy into self-defense. Recent statement on ABC by vice-Presisent Biden on Israeli's pre-emptive attack on Iran is counter productive for our national interests. Israeli attack and the consequences: Vice President Biden
http://straveler-myamerica.blogspot.com/2009/07/israeli-attack-and-consequences-vice.html

We will not advance our American interests, or the Progressive Iranian movement, by listening to those who advocate a more aggressive policy toward Iran.
We should open a dialogue with Iran over all issues now.