Iran sanctions are getting results, Clinton tells Iowans

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: Los Angeles Times

The Democratic hopeful says Tehran is negotiating, and her vote helped it happen. Her rivals see danger.
By Louise Roug, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 25, 2007

SAC CITY, IOWA -- Campaigning in northwestern Iowa on Saturday, Hillary Rodham Clinton told voters that a Senate resolution on Iran she supported has helped bring that country to the negotiating table while stemming the violence in Iraq. Clinton said tougher economic sanctions have been "a contributing factor to Iranians' backing off." Though brief, Clinton's remarks were also a rare acknowledgment of progress in Iraq.

The New York senator, who in national polls leads the field of Democratic nominees for president, made the comments during a question-and-answer session in Sac City. Clinton said the September Senate resolution on Iran had been "a stick and a carrot" for negotiations. "Since the sanctions were imposed on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, we are resuming talks with Iran," Clinton said. "Iranians have stopped sending improvised explosive devices into Iraq to be used against our soldiers. They have backed off from sending a lot of their agents into Iraq."

The September vote, a "Sense of the Senate" resolution sponsored by Sens. John Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), declared the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a "terrorist organization" and called for the administration to press ahead with sanctions. Clinton has since come under fire for the vote, which critics -- notably Democratic rival Illinois Sen. Barack Obama -- have described as raising the specter of war with Iran. At the time of the vote on the resolution, Obama was away campaigning but said if he had been present he would have voted against it. Other Democratic presidential candidates in the Senate, Delaware's Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Connecticut's Christopher J. Dodd, voted against it.

The intertwined issue of Iran and Iraq is thorny for Clinton, who -- like former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards -- voted to authorize the invasion of Iraq. Unlike Edwards, she has not backed down from her 2002 vote. Obama voted against authorizing the Iraq war....

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-clinton25nov25,0,5128065.story?coll=la-home-center

[ohio2007]

1. The EU sanctions are getting results

I can't see how she is in a position to take credit unless the polls indicate she needs to take the position results are happening

[librarycard]

2. I'd like to see the world sanction the US

with results.

Perhaps that's already happening, what with our import/export imbalance.

[Pavulon]

3. remember, my enemies enemy is NOT my friend!

That is a reality and it waits in washington for Hillary. There are problematic issues that exist in the world that will not go away, that were not caused by the administration in power now, and will require the US to do what it has done since the end of WW2.

[Auntie Bush]

4. Now what might you have in mind?

"do what it has done since the end of WW2." I can think of a lot of things we have done. What particular thing are you talking about?

[Pavulon]

5. Wow

the US has many foreign policies that have been in place for decades. US policy during that time period could cover millions of pieces of paper. Could fill rooms.

I am referring to brokering power with europe and latin america and asia to serve our interests. That is what nations do.

[wuushew]

6. There is no such thing as foreign "Amerikan interests"

We keep telling ourselves that all politics is local, but then live the lie that we are the friendly neighborhood bully.

Iran is in no way a military threat to the United States since we share no common borders and are separated by thousands of miles. I really have no interest in using military force to artificially make available a resource that is readily shown to be causing rapid destruction of the Earth's biosphere.


International relations are an overblown farce compared to the issues that we face at home.

[Pavulon]

8. History is your friend

it is all cool to hate amerikkka these days. However the US has a long history of foreign policy that has led to real people being helped.

Lech Walesa would agree on that, as would the albanians we stepped up to save. Policy in west germany in the 40's - the 80's is an example as well.

As for Iran the us should allow the EU to set policy on this issue.

The existence of collective defense treaties like NATO and those that exist with the US and Israel make your statement wrong. Shared borders are not required for a threat to exist.

Force is the tool of the current administration, however diplomacy can be used to achieve goals.

Isolationism is over, a dead concept. Anyone who espouses it has not done their research.

[wuushew]

10. Um mutual defense treaties snowballed into what became WWI

so don't give that garbage that all defense treaties promote stability and peace, they can go both ways.

Its clear its all about the oil, since the I can show you humanitarian problems all over the globe.

Just admit your concerns are Israel centric.



In your great political calculus why do you think the benefits of intervention exceed the cost of doing so? Choose your metric, lives, dollars, etc.

[Pavulon]

11. Incorrect. I slept through western civ

but would not make that assertion. WW1 was started because of very complex geo-political situations in europe. If you want to start a thread on it we can however it is FAR to complex to discuss here. Short answer, umm no.

You are jumping around. The NATO treaty, which has been quite effective at preventing large wars, makes Iran relevant. The europeans are doing a fine job of handling the issue. My concerns are revolve around non-proliferation. Israel is an obvious actor in what will become a regional arms race in the event of a nuclear armed Iran. Egypt and the other states will not stand idle to a change in the position of Iran.

At NO POINT have I said the us should take military actions. However sanctions are reasonable for non-compliance, worked with north korea. They were a Kahn customer too..

Let the EU sort it out and back them is a wise position.

[Auntie Bush]

7. Now that's a little more specific.

Thanks!

[Pavulon]

9. Really, you want all of it...?

You can start at the library of congress and then read the tens of thousands of books on the subject..

There are to many to list.

Policy in western europe beginning with the Berlin Airlift and continuing to the IFOR/KFOR response in Kosovo is an example.

There are thousands.