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Juan Cole: Clinton's Iran Comments "Monstrous"

Informed Content   |  Juan Cole   |   May 6, 2008 09:29 AM

Read More: Clinton Foreign Policy, Clinton Iran, Clinton Iran Comments, Clinton Iran Obliterate, Juan Cole, Politics News
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I had complained at the time that this diction is monstrous. I mean, it is surreal to have Democrats discussing whether it is appropriate for the US to "totally obliterate" another country. It would be one thing if she had threatened the Iranian military. Targeting civilians, who would be included in the "total" obliteration, is a war crime.

Clinton stood by her remarks: "I don't think it's time to equivocate. [Iran has] to know they would face massive retaliation. That is the only way to rein them in." The premise that "they" only understand the language of massive violence is in fact a rightwing premise more characteristic of W. and Ariel Sharon than of the Democratic Party tradition.

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collapse MissingAmerica See Profile I'm a Fan of MissingAmerica

A voice of reason!

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:45 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse mick3 See Profile I'm a Fan of mick3

Clinton seems willing to say or do anything to win the presidency. I notice that she no longer goes on about her "35 years of experience" most of which disqualifies her for this "rabid" feminist. Who can respect a person who co-sponsors a flag-burning bill on the one hand (pandering to the Right as usual) and who votes AGAINST a bill to ban cluster bombs (ditto). Apparently she's fine with alll those blinded, armless and legless, or dead children, thousands of them, due to cluster bombs. And this is the person who wrote a book entitled, "It Takes a Village" about the raising of healthy children. So whose children might they be? Apparently no one living in a war zone where the US has taken action.

Her sly negative attacks on a good man show her true colors, as did her cozying up to a neo-con early in her term as senator, muttering that we should "revisit Roe v Wade." And she is the darling of feminists? Give me a break! I disagree with Obama on a lot of things: Israel and the democracy push in South America, but I'll take him, or Howdy Doody (no, not Bush, that's just a resemblance) before I'd vote for Clinton. May have to sit out an election for the first time in my 80 years.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:09 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse Durango See Profile I'm a Fan of Durango

I read a book by a British tourist who traveled around Central Asia. I believe it was about the rug trade, can't recall the title. Excellent book however.

Anyhow he described going to Iran after traveling in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said entering Iran was like a breath of fresh air. The country was clean. And prosperous. And the people were friendly.

In fact he described a situation that was, quite frankly, incredible. He said that the Iranian Customs Official was friendly and helpful. Let him stay in the country without a proper visa until he could help him get the right one. After hours.

I also had a friend who was one of the first Americans to visit Iran. He was making a snowboarding video. He said the people were extremely friendly and took to Americans.

Only one HUGE problem though.

They were into Heavy Metal.

These are people so many of you are willing to obliterate?

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:46 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse nuglet304 See Profile I'm a Fan of nuglet304

cool glasses, fella.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:30 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse obamanation31 See Profile I'm a Fan of obamanation31

that's all you have to say?

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:38 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse ctbutte See Profile I'm a Fan of ctbutte

Juan Cole would be first in line to submit to his islamist masters!

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:03 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse MajorKong See Profile I'm a Fan of MajorKong

Translation from wingnut speak: "First in line to submit to his Islamist masters" = doesn't want to launch a full-scale nuclear attack on Iran, tomorrow if not sooner.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:01 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse obamanation31 See Profile I'm a Fan of obamanation31

again with negative comments.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:36 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse ctbutte See Profile I'm a Fan of ctbutte

The truth is sometimimes negative. The people , the common people of Iran are not the problem. Its the mullahs and their puppets that run the country that are the problem. They are stuck in the 7th fucking century and refuse to broaden their horizons. I hope and pray for the day when the people of Iran, stand up once again for their freedom as they did when they made the tragic mistake of allowing the mullahs to take control.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:32 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse elmysterio See Profile I'm a Fan of elmysterio

One could say the same thing about the United States.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:06 PM on 05/07/2008
collapse MajorKong See Profile I'm a Fan of MajorKong

The last time the people of Iran had freedom was 1953. They certainly didn't have it under the Shah and his secret police.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:14 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse ProgressiveBum See Profile I'm a Fan of ProgressiveBum

Clinton's foot-in-mouth disease is growing to pandemic proportions. No material, just pandering.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:01 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse Amomma See Profile I'm a Fan of Amomma

Did Obama have a Freudian slip? Did he just say we would protect IRAN if someone struck Iran? I thought the question was" if" Iran Nuked Israel?

Do you propose to negotiate with a country who wants to destroy another country? Do you let these "folk" develop WMD?

Do you tip toe around a country that is a rough nation?

If Iran wants to live by the sword than they should expect to die by the sword.

Do you think for a second Iran would try to avoid killing all of Israel's people? That is in fact what they would like to do. On the record.

Does the world not care because it is a Jewish state.?

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:50 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse MajorKong See Profile I'm a Fan of MajorKong

The President of Iran has also said "Iran is a threat to no other country, including the Zionist Entity". Of course, I'm only supposed to believe him when he says something that helps make our case for attacking Iran. Which we wanted to do long before he became President.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:58 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse donaldw6 See Profile I'm a Fan of donaldw6

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, Amomma. It was a slip -- I heard it -- but not a Freudian one, which would be obvious if you were really paying attention.

What if Iran nuked Israel? It would be pretty freaking amazing, since they don't have nukes.

Does Ahmadinejad want to "wipe Israel off the map"? Not as far as I know. I'm hardly a fan of Ahmadinejad, but his remarks were mistranslated, likely on purpose, and he actually expressed a wish that the current Israeli government would "disappear from the pages of time". His beef is with the government, not Israel. Mahmoud's got lots of problems, but this one is made up.

If we really care about Israel, we'll defuse tension in the region, not exacerbate it. Hillary's remarks are absolutely inexcusable. They represent precisely the sort of attitude we're trying to put behind us. Once upon a time, the people of Iran held candlelight vigils for us in mourning for the events of 9/11. Once upon a time, Iran gave their support for our actions in Afghanistan. Since then, we've done nothing but polarize them, given them additional leverage in the mideast, and given their hard-line conservatives talking points to bolster their support against American aggressive tendencies.

If we really do care, let's care enough to stop being stupid.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:07 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse POINT84 See Profile I'm a Fan of POINT84

SHUT THE F**K UP!!

1) Iran has not been to war with anyone in the last 100 years!!
2) There is noo way the world would just watch them attack Isreal and not do anything. Iran is a non threat. stop the madness....Geez, feel like Im being timewarped back to 2003 all over again.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:58 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse Amomma See Profile I'm a Fan of Amomma

Iran is a rogue nation who will not allow the world in because they are developing WMD. Iraq did not say they had no nukes left after Israel bombed their Nukes because they themselves believed and feared Iran had WMD. If you do not realize Iran will tell you one thing while doing another you will make a SNL sketch happen for real.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:11 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse DexGor See Profile I'm a Fan of DexGor

Wow, nothing in that post is accurate.

"Iran is a rogue nation who will not allow the world in because they are developing WMD."

Actually, Iran has been letting people in. Earlier in the decade, they even adhered to the NPT's Additional Protocols allowing for more intrusive IAEA inspections despite the fact that they were under no legal obligation to do so.

"Iraq did not say they had no nukes left after Israel bombed their Nukes because they themselves believed and feared Iran had WMD."

First, Isreal bombed a nuclear reactor, not "nukes" (weapons). Second, Iraq never actually claimed to have nukes and has never had nukes (although there was certainly a program). Third, Iraq did have its own WMDs which it used routinely on Iranian troops and cities during the war (making use of US intelligence provided to Hussein).

"If you do not realize Iran will tell you one thing while doing another you will make a SNL sketch happen for real."

Umm...EVERY country does that (including the US and Israel) so how is that an argument against Iran?

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:32 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse ctbutte See Profile I'm a Fan of ctbutte

So that whole Iran-Iraq War was a myth?

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:04 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse MajorKong See Profile I'm a Fan of MajorKong

Iraq was the aggressor in that war (with our backing I might add).

We helped Saddam Hussein (you know, the one you guys said was the most evil guy on the planet) kill close to a million Iranians.

Do you suppose they might be just a bit miffed about that?

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:56 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse Durango See Profile I'm a Fan of Durango

now that i think about it. Iraq invaded Iran, with US blessing, for the same reason Bush/Cheney invaded iraq.

To corner the worlds oil supply.

That worked out about as well for Saddam as it did for Bush/Cheney.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:21 AM on 05/07/2008
collapse mjc See Profile I'm a Fan of mjc

Obliterate was not the best choice of words, but think it is clearly representative of her attitude about standing with Israel if they were attacked. Ahmadinejhad used the same kind of language targeting Israel. And of course, as Hillary said, there is no question that Israel can take care of themselves. Even so, we would probably never have to plan such "obliteration". But diplomacy doesn't always get the message across, whereas that comment might.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:34 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse valkyrie607 See Profile I'm a Fan of valkyrie607

By all means, let us hold our presidential candidates to the same standards of rhetoric and diplomacy as those to which we hold Pres. Ahmedinijad.

And people wonder why the Iranians are paranoid about being attacked by the US.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:55 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse CapitalistRebel See Profile I'm a Fan of CapitalistRebel

Agreed

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:44 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse deeoneakin See Profile I'm a Fan of deeoneakin

Regardless of how Clinton's supporters want to spin her remarks the bottomline is this; if she ever becomes president the Iranians will NEVER negotiate with her administration based on these remarks.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:25 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse Roshi98 See Profile I'm a Fan of Roshi98

Every president since Carter has been using language like this - if you think that the Iranians take this talk as indicative of true motive, you're fooling yourself.

Plus, Hillary provided much more detail (in the same interview) on what her policy prior towards Iran (whether Iran gets nukes or not) would be - intensive diplomacy, multi-lateral negotiations, gradual easing of tensions, and a better understanding of the inner-workings within Iran.

To whit. Obama suggested that, with actionable intelligence, he would send planes and missiles into Pakistan, offering no clarification. Hillary said the same, but with the caveat that she would first inform both Pakistan AND India in order to prevent an accidental nuclear war from breaking out. Obama said he would negotiate leader-to-leader with North Korea, Iran, and Cuba. Hillary said that intense negotiation and common agreements would have to be hammered out prior to any consideration of such meetings. Obama said that he will rely on the advice of his closest advisors to make critical decisions. Hillary said that, while advisors have their place, the responsibility of making decisions and setting policy rests in the hands of the president.

With all of the problems facing our nation that need attention NOW, I'll take the flawed but hard-working Hillary over the charismatic but ethereal Obama any day.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:05 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse donaldw6 See Profile I'm a Fan of donaldw6

I still have errands to run and things to do, but as I'm able to settle down and follow today's primaries, I'm setting a goal to keep track of Hillary support postings to see if even one of them doesn't distort the truth in some fashion. Your rendition of Obama regarding Pakistan is a fabrication, since he actually said the U.S. would attack if Pakistan would not. There's a world of difference between what he said, and your representation of it. Your "distinction" regarding advisors is strange at best.

My work's cut out for me. Is there a Hillary supporter on HuffPo today who will string more than two or three sentences together that are actually true?

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:49 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse olivia See Profile I'm a Fan of olivia

Hillary does not want to talk about the war.

She'll whip up any kind of controversy, no matter how stupid, to avoid the subject coming around to that one.

Hillary knows the war is her Achilles heel.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:19 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse DAVESEAN See Profile I'm a Fan of DAVESEAN

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The Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans try to run an anti-Obama, anti- Reverend Wright, they are simply going to fail.

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The danger for House and Senate Republicans in 2008 is that the voters will say, "Not the Republicans."

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The facts are clear .

Saturday's loss was in a district that President Bush carried by 19 percentage points in 2004 and that the Republicans have held since 1975.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:52 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse Busterdawg See Profile I'm a Fan of Busterdawg

Wow! Another elitist academic for Obama... pinch me, I must be dreaming.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:49 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse MajorKong See Profile I'm a Fan of MajorKong

I guess you wouldn't want some elitist med school graduate doing open heart surgery on you either.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:23 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse sclucie See Profile I'm a Fan of sclucie

I believe that the elitist of all elitists, Bill Kristol, the one who doesn't believe there is a race problem in America, came out today for Hillary. Paul Krugman, an economist from Princeton, which you would have to call an awfully elitist place, has all but proposed to Hillary for the past six months - praising every move she makes even when many of her positions are identical to her opponents. The last Clinton presidency was jam-packed with elitists, from think tanks, academia and Wall Street. Virtually all of the neocons that got us into this wretched war - Bill Kristol, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, Richard Kagan, are all Ivy-League think tank/academic elitists who have never held a normal job in their lives - and probably never interact with anyone but elitists.

Who do you think Hillary would fill her White House with? Us? The guys from the bar in PA?

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:20 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse mjc See Profile I'm a Fan of mjc

Gee, and with all the comments about how Hillary Clinton doesn't appeal to well-educated and well-off. Krugman AND Kristol have complimented her and disagreed with her. Why is it that Obama disciples think there is only black and white when it comes to opinions? There is an awful lot immaturity out there. Do we excuse it because they're young?

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:38 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse nellie See Profile I'm a Fan of nellie

Do you know anything at all about this man? Google his bio, then post your apology.

replyReply favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:01 PM on 05/06/2008
collapse Durango See Profile I'm a Fan of Durango

If by elitist you mean somebody who speaks the language who has lived in the region and knows hs subject. Why yes.

Personally I am real tired of no elitist idiots telling the rest of us what they don't know.

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