Joseph Wilson on Hillary and Iran.

From TalkLeft:



(Guest Post by Former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson)

On Iran, Hillary has been right in her strong criticism of Bush


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.

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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.