Posted on 01/28/2005 6:11:16 PM PST by NormsRevenge
DAVOS, Switzerland - Sen. Joseph Biden (news, bio, voting record) and Iran's foreign minister clashed Friday over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, with Biden hinting at the possibility of armed conflict unless fears of an Iranian weapons program were put to rest.
The rare and frank public exchange between a senior American politician and a ranking member of the Iranian government came at a dinner during the World Economic Forum (news - web sites) held in this Alpine resort town.
There are no official contacts between Washington and Tehran, which President Bush (news - web sites) has labeled part of the "axis of evil," and which stands accused by the U.S. administration of trying to make nuclear weapons — something Iran denies.
Biden, D-Del., favors dialogue with Iran and as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Comittee has occasionally met with officials from the Islamic Republic. He is at odds with administration hard-liners who favor isolating Iran for its supposed nuclear weapons plans and alleged backing of terrorists.
Biden's warning to Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi was tempered, with the U.S. senator also urging his own government to rethink its positions.
"You have to grow up and my administration has to grow up, with all due respect, and find out if there is any common ground," he said." We are on the course of unintended consequences."
Biden expressed hope that the Bush administration in its second term would reconsider its position and try to engage Iran, saying that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) was receptive to his "initiatives to reach out to the Iranians for discussions" in her earlier capacity as national security advisor.
"I hope we're all smarter about this, smarter than we've been," he said. Alluding to the refusal by Bush to rule out an armed response to Iran's nuclear plans, he said: "I hope our leadership is brighter because if it's not, it's a very dull picture for the region, and for humanity."
Biden spoke after Kharrazi had said his country's insistence on the right to uranium enrichment was not up for debate at present talks with Germany, France and Britain designed to banish fears over Iran's nuclear plans. Iran has suspended all enrichment activities during the negotiations but has refused to mothball the program, which can be used to produce fuel for reactors or the core of nuclear warheads.
"Iran cannot be ignored," said Kharrazi. Repeating that his country had no intentions of producing nuclear arms, he said that nonetheless, "Iran's rights cannot be denied."
Biden said he favored a commitment from the U.S. administration "that we are not interested in regime change" in Iran in exchange for concessions by Tehran that would banish suspicions about its nuclear programon its nuclear program.
He said that both liberal and conservative U.S. government politicians believed "that it is not in our interest ... for you to acquire nuclear capability for nuclear weapons and intermediate or long range missile technology."
Biden's the one who needs to grow up. And that goes for his liberal RAT cohorts as well. I'm not holding my breath.
Yeah, like that's gonna scare the hell out of any Iranians...
Damn! How did I miss Biden's confirmation as SoS?
Biden's bi-polar.
Biden should be ashamed of himself for speaking such moral equivalence language overseas.
Are you sure it wasn't Kerry? "Yeah, GW, do it. Attack. I'll support you...until election time."
With Biden, McCain and Clinton, it appears we have alot of people who are not the Executive Branch out there running foreign policy.
I just love it when a member of our Senate Foreign Relations Comittee goes to a foreign country and says to a ranking member of the Iranian government:
"My administration has to grow up"
"I hope we're all smarter about this, smarter than we've been"
"I hope our leadership is brighter"
I can only imagine what would happen to Kharrazi's head if he said something similar about the Iranian leadership.
Irony at its best.
Mr. Biden should have read the Iranian minister the riot act--telling him there would be consequences to their nuclear shell game.
Instead, he tried to make himself look good while denigrating the Administration, while he was overseas.
None dare call it treason.
"I hope we're all smarter about this, smarter than we've been," he said. Alluding to the refusal by Bush to rule out an armed response to Iran's nuclear plans, he said: "I hope our leadership is brighter because if it's not, it's a very dull picture for the region, and for humanity."
"Biden said he favored a commitment from the U.S. administration "that we are not interested in regime change" in Iran in exchange for concessions by Tehran that would banish suspicions about its nuclear program."
Now where did we hear that proposal before? (Could it be Iraq or North Korea?) DO THESE DEMS HAVE CALCIFICATION OF THE BRAIN?
When you are "smart" enough to win an election without the MSM at your back or ridiculing the intelligence of your opponent that has outwitted you consistently, we might listen to you Senator.
Are we gonna hear some Senate Admonishments for 4 or 5 Democrat Senators next week. These outrageous attacks are surely within SOME jurisdiction of Sanity.
And .. what authority does he have to be "hinting" at anything ..?? He's not part of the admin - good grief - Biden is really losing it.
His ugly comments about Rumsfeld to Dr. Rice was enough for me.
His sneering arrogance never fails to piss me off. His face seems to scream slap me everytime I see it.
There is dissent, and then, there are the demRats.
Hannity&Colmes just had Sheila Jackson Lee on,,, what a loon.
btw,, the dems are caught between Iraq and a hard place.
If Iraqi FReedom succeeded and a democracy were to arise, what would that say about the dems?
Message to Biden: "Yessa, Boss! Yessa, Boss!"
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