Fred Thompson, The New Neo Con
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| Also listed in: 2008 Rapid Response |
Reuters: Republican Thompson Highlights Serious Iran Threat
Former U.S. Republican senator Fred Thompson, who backed the Iraq war, said Washington must avoid appearing weak by withdrawing its troops from Iraq. He said he did not know if Bush had a "Plan B" to end the chaos in the country.
"I hope the political process allows us to avail ourselves of every realistic opportunity we have to leave that place under better than horrible circumstances," he said.
Tougher sanctions or a blockade on Iran could help foment growing internal dissent to topple that government, Thompson, a potential presidential candidate, said on Tuesday.
Military action must always remain an option and world powers must agree on the nature of what Thompson called the "very, very serious threat" from Tehran.
Thompson suggested most Europeans did not view the threat from "radical Islamic fundamentalism" with the same gravity as most Americans.
Iran's poor economy and domestic opposition to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could prompt "regime change", Thompson said.
"We have a lot of friends in Iran who apparently feel their leader is trying to drive them off of a militant, religious extremism cliff," he said.
"Some of these problems might work in our favor especially if we ratcheted the sanctions a bit more. I would think that certainly a blockade would be a possibility if we could get the international cooperation to do that.
"I think regime change might be an option ... but you can't take the military option off the table." Thompson, an actor, answered questions after giving a speech in London.
Sounds like Senator Thompson is preaching from the same neo-con hymnal that got us into the Iraq Debacle. He is using the same tired arguments that VP Cheney has been trotting out about the imminent (practically 5 to 8 years away) threat of a nuclear Iran and how we need to do something stupid now.
Now that Iraq is in shambles, and has indeed become a model (look at Gaza & Lebanon) for the mid east, Thompson, the new neo-con thinks its finally time to "hope the political process" saves our bacon.
Whoa there, big fella! Take your foot off the gas and let "the political process allow us to avail ourselves of every realistic opportunity we have to" not get ourselves into another mid east quagmire.
They say that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. Hello, how about current events? Excuse me Senator, haven't you noticed how well the current "regime change" initiative is playing out right next door to Iran?
Maybe Bush's Plan B is simply "to leave that place under better than horrible circumstances"
All this talk about starting another useless war when we haven't finished the last useless war is just making me dizzy
Former U.S. Republican senator Fred Thompson, who backed the Iraq war, said Washington must avoid appearing weak by withdrawing its troops from Iraq. He said he did not know if Bush had a "Plan B" to end the chaos in the country.
"I hope the political process allows us to avail ourselves of every realistic opportunity we have to leave that place under better than horrible circumstances," he said.
Tougher sanctions or a blockade on Iran could help foment growing internal dissent to topple that government, Thompson, a potential presidential candidate, said on Tuesday.
Military action must always remain an option and world powers must agree on the nature of what Thompson called the "very, very serious threat" from Tehran.
Thompson suggested most Europeans did not view the threat from "radical Islamic fundamentalism" with the same gravity as most Americans.
Iran's poor economy and domestic opposition to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could prompt "regime change", Thompson said.
"We have a lot of friends in Iran who apparently feel their leader is trying to drive them off of a militant, religious extremism cliff," he said.
"Some of these problems might work in our favor especially if we ratcheted the sanctions a bit more. I would think that certainly a blockade would be a possibility if we could get the international cooperation to do that.
"I think regime change might be an option ... but you can't take the military option off the table." Thompson, an actor, answered questions after giving a speech in London.
Sounds like Senator Thompson is preaching from the same neo-con hymnal that got us into the Iraq Debacle. He is using the same tired arguments that VP Cheney has been trotting out about the imminent (practically 5 to 8 years away) threat of a nuclear Iran and how we need to do something stupid now.
Now that Iraq is in shambles, and has indeed become a model (look at Gaza & Lebanon) for the mid east, Thompson, the new neo-con thinks its finally time to "hope the political process" saves our bacon.
Whoa there, big fella! Take your foot off the gas and let "the political process allow us to avail ourselves of every realistic opportunity we have to" not get ourselves into another mid east quagmire.
They say that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. Hello, how about current events? Excuse me Senator, haven't you noticed how well the current "regime change" initiative is playing out right next door to Iran?
Maybe Bush's Plan B is simply "to leave that place under better than horrible circumstances"
All this talk about starting another useless war when we haven't finished the last useless war is just making me dizzy
