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Home Front: WoT
Obama would consider missile strikes on Iran
2004-09-25
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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 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.
Hey! Careful with that feather! You almost knocked me over!
"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. "In light of the fact that we're now in Iraq, with all the problems in terms of perceptions about America that have been created, us launching some missile strikes into Iran is not the optimal position for us to be in," he said.
Posted by:Steve White

#16  From what I have heard him speak he is a "good" politicial, that is he listens to what voters are saying and tailors his words to their wants. He may or may not follow through on his words when he is in office. I think it best just to keep a good eye on the young gentleman and see where he goes.
Posted by: Old Fogey   2004-09-25 8:50:20 PM  

#15  Who knows what this kid really believes?

He's never held meaningful office, never been tested in a real crisis pitting his conscience against demands of party elders or constituents. It's one thing to represent a gerrymandered district which will never be challenged by anyone not left of Cynthia McKinney or Charley Rangel; another thing entirely to represent a large and politically diverse state like Illinois.

BTW, '08 is far, far too early for him to run for prez. He needs seasoning outside that incestuous club called the Senate. No one with only congressional experience has won the presidency in the last forty years.
Posted by: lex   2004-09-25 7:06:07 PM  

#14  ...so long as he doesnt fall victim to the political culture surrender the left genrally has assumed.

I think you've hit it here OldSpook. The guy's still somewhat of a free agent since he has yet to spend his first tour in DC where he'll almost certainly cave to the pressure and fall into step with his party's liberal intelligensia. He's already there on economic issues and his statements regarding the use of force are tepid at best, "... as a last resort after first consulting the UN Security Counsel." The fact that we'd find this sort of dialogue encouraging is merely another sign of how far gone the political left truly is.

IMHO he's a lib trying desperately to clothe himself in moderate garb. His mildly hawkish statements will act to immunize him for a time from the inevitable hard left turn he'll be forced to take on the issue in DC.

He's way too young to take a shot at President in '08 though I do look for him to be the top contender for the veep slot on the Hildebeast's ticket. Watch for Obama to make a lot of moderate noises while being a reliable far left vote. He'll try for the straddle so that he can have room to move between the center and far left to shore up the base as necessary in '08.
Posted by: AzCat   2004-09-25 6:59:26 PM  

#13  Agree with Zhang and Jack. Compare this with his ridiculous convention speech-- the one that began by bashing furreigners, that devoted about three seconds to foreign policy generally (he couldn't even be bothered to mention Iran)-- and you have to be skeptical.

The guy's up by, what, forty points in the polls? He could argue for invading France and he'd still be guaranteed a Senate seat. Jury's out on this one.
Posted by: lex   2004-09-25 6:57:55 PM  

#12  Osama may be in Iran. I can see the headline "Obama helps nail Osama." Kind of a poetic ring don't you think.
Posted by: Anymousse6646   2004-09-25 6:34:23 PM  

#11  Psssst... Dorf. Me too. I don't know what happened.
Posted by: Shipman   2004-09-25 6:28:11 PM  

#10  What more economic sanctions could the US place on Iran?

We are providing security for the Pakistani nukes already - and for the Pakistani president. I think Obama needs to read the paper.
Posted by: Super Hose   2004-09-25 6:15:17 PM  

#9  O.S. an echo of your remarks. I am still in my own dawg haus over my like of Andrew Young years ago tho. Congrats on your blog, it will be followed
Posted by: Dorf   2004-09-25 5:51:56 PM  

#8  this guy is setting himself up as a serious contender for 2008. Better watch out, Obama, don't turn your back on Hillary!
Posted by: 2B   2004-09-25 4:58:56 PM  

#7  This guy is as much of a panty waste as Opie Edwards. Somehow one fails to register anything on the intimidation meter.
Posted by: Capt America   2004-09-25 4:43:09 PM  

#6  Liberals have always talked tough. The problem is that they think tough words are a substitute for tough actions.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2004-09-25 2:55:38 PM  

#5  Geez, hold your skirts down ladies. What weasel words. He sounds like Kerry did in 97, 02 and during the primaries. There are more caveats in there than in a mutual fund prospectus. He first goes to the UN and waits for them to decide - the great Democratic party cop out on National security issues. So, how long do you wait - 6 days, 6 weeks, months, years? No, a true pre-emptory policy is one where you wait on no one but your own decision. Lay you 10 to 1 that if he is elected and so is Bush - he will take up the Gore/Kerry/Byrd mantle and back anything but Bush in the Senate.
Posted by: Jack is Back   2004-09-25 2:34:21 PM  

#4  Barack Obama you know, that you know, you really should be in the party of Lincoln.

Don't fight it any longer, your too bloody smart for the likes of sellouts leading the Kerry camp.

How many radical Dems sound like this? "On the other hand, having a radical Muslim theocracy in possession of nuclear weapons is worse" Bingo G you got it!

Yo! Barack, switch now, and work for a strong America & the world, not the masked agenda interests of the limo riding elitists, neo-socialists and old 1960's Leftovers!
Posted by: Mark Espinola   2004-09-25 1:23:51 PM  

#3  The more I've read about this guy, the more I see a "Classical" liberal.

Unlike a lot of the others at the top of the Democratic party, he has his eyes open and no blinders on, when it comes to the safety of the US and western civilization. Anyone that can see the truth about this should eventually see the truth about other things, so long as he doesnt fall victim to the political culture surrender the left genrally has assumed.

IIRC, he also went to Africa, and saw how Africans treated each other based on religion, tribalism and skin color - so he has fewer illusions than most black activists.

I may disagree with him about a majority of things, but this is the kind of guy I feel OK about having given years of my life in the military to ensure he has free speech.
Posted by: OldSpook   2004-09-25 1:14:04 PM  

#2  He may be more familiar with the true Religion of Death Peace than is Kerry.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2004-09-25 12:46:36 PM  

#1  He has to show some alliegance to the party line right now, but I don't think he really buys this.

It's that, or he's not as tone deaf as Kerry, McAwful, etc., and can see how badly the Dems are about to do in November. If the Dems then clean house, this guy's political stock will go through the roof. Too bad the guy's a freakin' Marxist.
Posted by: Raj   2004-09-25 12:31:39 PM  

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