This is supposed to be Mac's strong point. Obama said months ago that the US should engage Iran in diplomatic talks. Mac said Obama was "naive." Now look at who's "naive."
Five former U.S. state secretaries urge Iran talks
REUTERSReuters North American News Service
Sep 15, 2008 19:11 EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Five former U.S. secretaries of state said Monday the next American administration should talk to Iran, a foe President Bush has generally shunned as part of an "axis of evil."
Engaging Iran is important because Washington's military options against Tehran are unsatisfactory, said the diplomats, who worked for Republican and Democratic administrations.
The five -- Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, Warren Christopher, James Baker and Henry Kissinger -- all said they favored talking to Iran as part of a strategy to stop Tehran's development of a nuclear weapons program.
"Frankly the military options here are very poor. We don't want to go down that route," said Christopher, who worked for former President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997.
Powell, who worked for Bush from 2001 to 2005, said U.S. officials in Bush's first term had held low-level talks with the Iranians until 2003 "and then it was stopped."
"I agree with Madeleine, and I suspect my other colleagues, that we should try to talk to them," Powell said during a forum hosted by The George Washington University and taped for broadcast on CNN.
Albright, who was secretary of state in the second Clinton administration, had just told the group: "I believe we need to engage with Iran. I think the whole point is you try to engage and deal with countries that you have problems with."
Dealing with Iran has become an issue in the November presidential election campaign, with Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain sparring over Obama's stated readiness to talk to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other U.S. adversaries if elected president.
McCain has criticized Obama's stand, saying it shows naivete and inexperience.
Source: Reuters North American News Service
9 comments:
We should be talking with Iran even if it is for no other reason than that we have zero military to engage with them in a war.
ohhh, since when has McCain advocated waging war against Iran?
Griper,
I refer to the fact that McCain called Obama naive and inexperienced for wanting to open diplomatic discussions with Iran.
He was wrong (again).
5 US secretaries of state are urging Bush administration to do what Obama suggested it do months ago.
And what McCain said was naive.
McCain doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Again.
ok, which one declared that those talks be without preconditions as Obama says?
there is a big difference in saying "talks" and "talks without preconditions" as Obama advocated, little one. :)
Distinction without a difference.
PS. Which part of SoCal?
I'm going to Orange County in Oct.
Maybe we can meet for a latte and some brie? ;-)
in negotiations, little one, that is a very big distinction. preconditions can set the tone of any negotiation. it also can declare the goals of negotiations.
me, up in riverside, about 30 miles from orange county. and i accept your invite on the precondition of no politics. lol
Do we know if the Bush administration set conditions before the talks they plan to have with Iran?
Riverside, eh? I'll be just inland (4 miles) from Laguna Beach--ZOMG! A hippie, liberal, long-haired surfer, latte drinking community!
I actually hate politics.
what's Bush got to do with this? he is not McCain or Obama. and it is their approach that is the subject of your post.
and it will after one of them is elected that we are referring to in regards to dealing with Iran not before.
so, trying to bring Bush into this discussion and how he is dealing with it says nothing about the approaches of the two candidates.
besides, if anything, we need to await the end results of Bush's talks in order to determine anything about the approaches of the two candidates. even then, it won't say much because the success or failure of the talks will depend upon what each side demands from the other or what each side is willing to concede. and that in itself is dependent upon the individuals.
ahh laguna, an artist's paradise as it be all along the coast there. been ages since i was there. and you'll be coming close to the right time too,,to avoid the millions who are tourists or as i call them, lookie loos. lol
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