Bolton Calls For Iran Strike
Former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton drew cheers from British Conservatives on Sunday, saying that diplomacy had failed to halt Iran’s nuclear program and urging Washington to take military action.
Bolton, who has long advocated a tougher line on dealing with Tehran, told a fringe meeting at Britain’s main opposition Conservative Party’s annual conference that time was running out to halt Iran’s alleged weapons ambitions.
“Life is about choices, and we are very close to the point where we have to make that choice on military force,” Bolton told delegates in the northern coastal holiday town of Blackpool.
“This is not an attractive option, but after four-plus frustrating years watching European diplomacy fail time and time again and watching our options more and more constrained, I do not know what the alternative is.”
The often outspoken ex-ambassador has criticized Britain and European allies over their approach to dealing with Tehran. Iran has refused to halt a uranium enrichment program and denied claims by the US and others that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
“If the choice is between an Iran with nuclear weapons and the use of military force to prevent that… then I think we have to look at a limited strike against their nuclear facilities,” Bolton told the meeting.
Bolton told delegates, “The US once had the capability to engage in the clandestine overthrow of governments, I wish we could get it back,” winning applause and cheers.
“If we were to strike Iran it should be accompanied by an effort at regime change as well, because I think that really sends the signal that we are not attacking the people, we are attacking the nuclear weapons program,” he said.
According to The Guardian, Bolton also praised the French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his forthright criticism of Iran in recent weeks.
Sarkozy recently called for tougher international sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program and warned French oil giant Total and gas firm Gaz de France to refrain from investing in Iran.
(AP)
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John Bolton for President!
September 30th, 2007 at 2:31 pmWhere’s the rest of the balsy guys like Bolton at? This guy is always on time and on target on the issues. Damn right…let’s take the war to Iran…..now…
September 30th, 2007 at 2:43 pm“If we were to strike Iran it should be accompanied by an effort at regime change as well, because I think that really sends the signal that we are not attacking the people, we are attacking the nuclear weapons program,” he said.
As it should be. Much of the Iranian population does not support Ahmadickwad or those with the power behind him.
September 30th, 2007 at 3:44 pmSimply put, this man is our Churchill.
September 30th, 2007 at 10:57 pmWow, seems like you cater to the warmongering extreme right. As long as there are people like the above responders there will always be wars. The hypocrisy of bolton is never more evident than when he talks about clandestine removal of governments, today we call that TERRORISM, and yes we all know that the biggest terrorist nation in the world is the U.S. Don’t any of you understand that the more you act aggressively towards others you disagree with the more you creat a blowback that will come some day when your poor sons and daughters will have to deal with it. Also the only nation to have ever used nuclear weapons on the civilian population of another country and which today is seriously considering doing it again has no right to criticize or prohibit any other country from exercising their legal right to nuclear power because it is a rogue nation. We all know a rogue nation when we see it!
October 3rd, 2007 at 10:41 am