Washington, DC, April 22, 2008 -- The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) denounces Senator Hillary Clinton's escalating war rhetoric on Iran. In an interview with Good Morning America, Senator Clinton promised Tuesday to "obliterate" Iran should Tehran develop a nuclear weapon and use it against Israel.

"I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the President, we will attack Iran," Clinton said. "In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them."

NIAC regrets that at a time when America needs a new foreign policy—one centered on resolving regional and global conflict through diplomacy in cooperation with US allies—Senator Clinton has chosen a policy that would prolong conflict. Her statements suggest that she would resort to Cold War tactics instead of recognizing the ability to resolve the US-Iran stalemate through diplomacy.

"Senator Clinton's statement reflects a mindset of perpetual conflict that has guided our Iran policy for the last seven years," Trita Parsi, NIAC President, said. "This is disastrous for US national interest, since we are in desperate need of a new and fresh Iran policy aimed at resolving the conflict rather than prolonging it."

Senator Clinton's remarks were made in the context of her proposal to provide a nuclear umbrella to Arab states in the Middle East against Iran. The New York Senator rejected on MSNBC Monday evening the idea that the government in Tehran is undeterrable.

"Fixation on deterrence, sanctions and threats of war have all failed to advance US interest and change Iran's nuclear policy," Parsi said. "What we need now is not nuclear deterrence, but nuclear diplomacy."

About NIAC: Founded in early 2002, the National Iranian-American Council is a non-partisan, non-political, non-sectarian, and non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Iranian-American participation in American civic life.
 

... Payvand News - 04/23/08 ...