By General
Wesley Clark, StopIranWar.com
Last
Friday, Iranian military forces seized 15 British sailors and marines in the
Persian Gulf. Some believe this is an act of aggression by Iran and should be
met with a commensurate military response.
I do not.
I believe it shows that the Bush
Administration's current policy with Iran is not working. For the sake
of stability in the Middle East, it's time for direct diplomacy with Iran -- now
more than ever.
Today, we're launching our third video
blog for StopIranWar.com. I'm joined by Iraq war veteran Jon Soltz of
VoteVets.org and Clark Community blogger Reg to discuss how President Bush's get
tough policy with Iran is undermining the security of our most reliable ally in
the region, Israel.
Watch today's video blog to understand why
George Bush's policy of confronting Iran hurts the Israelis, our strongest
allies in this volatile region.
We need to be shaping a new vision for the
Middle East. Peace won't come through saber rattling and threats -- it
will come through dialogue, negotiation and the hard work of diplomacy.
While I would never rule out military action against Iran if necessary to
preserve stability, protect Israel and defend America's national security, it
just doesn't make sense in our current circumstances.
In fact, attacking Iran now would
simply derail the Middle East peace process, further radicalize Israel's
enemies, and put our friend and ally at risk. Years of diplomacy
aimed at laying the groundwork for peace will be lost.
We must give the people of this region
cause for hope -- not just the threat of the Sixth Fleet lurking off their
shore. It's time to let the diplomats do their job.
Watch our new video blog today, and then
sign our petition to President Bush asking him to pursue diplomacy with Iran --
not more military confrontation.
It's time for the United States to be a
beacon of hope and the voice of reason in the Middle East. President Bush's
policy of military confrontation has done enough harm. Please, help me change
his course by inviting your friends and family to sign our petition
at StopIranWar.com today.
Sincerely,
Wes Clark
... Payvand News - 3/30/07 ... --
