Posted on 09/25/2004 6:24:56 AM PDT by Land_of_Lincoln_John
U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama suggested Friday that the United States one day might have to launch surgical missile strikes into Iran and Pakistan to keep extremists from getting control of nuclear bombs.
Obama, a Democratic state senator from the Hyde Park neighborhood, made the remarks during a meeting Friday with the Tribune editorial board. Obama's Republican opponent, Alan Keyes, was invited to attend the same session but declined.
Iran announced on Tuesday that it has begun converting tons of uranium into gas, a crucial step in making fuel for a nuclear reactor or a nuclear bomb. The International Atomic Energy Agency has called for Iran to suspend all such activities.
Obama said the United States must first address Iran's attempt to gain nuclear capabilities by going before the United Nations Security Council and lobbying the international community to apply more pressure on Iran to cease nuclear activities. That pressure should come in the form of economic sanctions, he said.
But if those measures fall short, the United States should not rule out military strikes to destroy nuclear production sites in Iran, Obama said.
"The big question is going to be, if Iran is resistant to these pressures, including economic sanctions, which I hope will be imposed if they do not cooperate, at what point are we going to, if any, are we going to take military action?" Obama asked.
Given the continuing war in Iraq, the United States is not in a position to invade Iran, but missile strikes might be a viable option, he said. Obama conceded that such strikes might further strain relations between the U.S. and the Arab world.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Running for president already? ...
Wow. He has moments of sanity. I'm stunned to be honest.
Like any good rat once they "talk" about something the problem is solved! Don't hold your breath for Alabama or any other high profile rat to actually "do" anything about anything except welfare needs for their constituency. that's all they really care about.
Sounds like it. Groan.
I'm thinking VP. Hilary/Obama.
Hilary/Obama
vs.
Rudy, Rudy, Rudy
Obama is the perfect description of an "honest" politician: when he's bought, he stays bought.
Rudy is good, but not very conservative socially.
He's from Harvard, dontcha know. Staying bought can't be cheap.
Yes- his comment is a sane assessment of potential futue conflict.
What would be INSANE would be to want someone like Obama and his party to be making the decisions about when, where and how-
We sure wouldn't want the Clinton State Department, the Clinton SECDEF, or the Clinton targeting team at the helm, would we?
Huh?
Does O(s|b)ama think Iranians are Arab?
Or the Pakistanis for that matter.
And another thing. "Surgical strikes" is the Clinton formula. Low risk, low cost--and low probability of accomplishing anything meaningful (think of the Tomahawk strikes on Osama). The real question for Obama et al is: what if surgical strikes won't work? If you fire your cruise missles, and all you accomplish is to "hit a camel in the ass" (to paraphrase W)--what then? I think we all know the answer.
Triangulation strategy!
This guy is almost as bad as Kerry.
1. Pakistan is becoming a strong ALLY to the US.
2. Pakistan has already tested it's Nukes back in 1998
Yeah, but the deal includes reciprocal BJ's from his campaign financiers. The money keeps coming as long as Obama toes the line, and kneels when required.
Yep - this is the second issue I have heard about him coming out on the "right" side in a public statement -
He is against homosexual marriage (although he doesn't have a problem with "civil unions".
And now he thinks wacking Iran wouldn't be a bad idea....
Of course, he is a RAT so he is just as likely to give a speech on the opposite side of the same issues tomorrow.
I can't pin point it .. but I don't like, nor trust Obama
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