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Christopher Bond, Dianne Feinstein, Eliot A. Cohen, Fox News Sunday, Iran, Kit Bond, Sanctions, Senate Intellilgence Committe, Wall Street Journal
Yesterday on Fox News Sunday, Kit Bond appeared with Senator Diane Feinstein, Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, to discuss the disclosure of a second, secret Iranian uranium enrichment facility:
Bond’s demeanor during this interview illustrates the dilemma that faces erst-while moderates in the age of radical fringe Republicanism. On the one hand, he is not a total ideologue so he strives for the appearance of rationality:
… I think that the election riots and the continuing unrest in Iran shows that there’s a significant body of Iranian people who don’t like the direction that they’re going.
And that’s why I think that strong economic sanctions, which have to be applied by the world community, not just us – we can make an impact – are the best way to go.
To get an idea about how much Bond is leaning toward the center here, contrast his statement with the rabid diatribe by former counselor to the Bush State Department, Eliot A. Cohen, that appeared in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. Cohen states unequivocally that:
Pressure, be it gentle or severe, will not erase that nuclear program. The choices are now what they ever were: an American or an Israeli strike, which would probably cause a substantial war, or living in a world with Iranian nuclear weapons, which may also result in war, perhaps nuclear, over a longer period of time.
In comparison to such knee-jerk neocons, Bond seems positively sane.
On the other hand, however, lest Bond’s more virulent fellow Republicans get the idea that he’s a weak sister, he does have to rattle his rather moribund sabre just a little and make a feint in the direction of the diplomatically inclined Obama administration. On the topic of Iran’s recent short-range missile tests, he declares in his best testy, elder statesman mode:
Today’s action in firing the missiles is really a poke in the eye to those who think that diplomatic efforts and agreements and inspections are going to change the way that Iran is going.
Has anybody ever implied that diplomacy or inspections unaccompanied by some source of leverage constitutes a viable strategy? Or is Bond implying that sanctions are just a necessary run-up to military action (while somehow managing to agree with Secretary Gates that military action would be futile)? Perhaps he is a little annoyed that Obama is so skillfully using the fact of Iran’s supposed intransigence to try to wrench cooperation from the Russians and Chinese.
Or, perhaps he’s just dancing around the issue trying to appear tough. Poor Senator Bond! Trying to be responsible when you live in a nest of two-headed vipers must be stressful in the extreme. No wonder he plans to retire.
Incidentally, if you you would like to fill in the holes in this interview with an alternative point of view, take a look at what Glenn Glenwald has to say. He makes a good argument for exercising caution about the media coverage of Iran’s new facility, as well as the breathless alacrity with which our politicians, Democratic as well as Republican, have jumped on the bandwagon for what must seem to all of them a sure-fire political bet.
it is too bad that Americans are so easily duped. A little bit of reading would reveal that Iran is a signatory nation to the nuclear non proliferation treaty and has to date complied w. all parameters of the treaty. The facility at Gom was reported to the IAEA at least l8 months before going online. The treaty requires notification to the IAEA 6 months prior to going online. Iran has invaded no other nation in the past l00 years and has repeatedly stated that they do not believe in first strikes.
Consider then that Israel is a nuclear nation that refuses to acknowledge its capability and has not signed the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. And then the US (that bastion of do-gooder innocence)has occupation forces in two, if not three neighboring states (Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan)and both Israel and the US continue to make loud belligerent noises toward Iran…. (all options are on the table). Not to mention Israel’s behavior toward Lebannon and more recently its bombardment of the Palestinians. The taking of a relief ship headed for Palestine with Cynthia McGinnis on board yet. And now we read that Saudia Arabia has given the high sign for Israel to bomb bomb bomb Iran.
Oh but I forgot! Iran is an evil empire so designated by our former “fox in the henhouse president”. Recently my nephew was visiting, he lives in Australia these days but is Iranian born. He states that Iranians are well aware that the US has operatives on the ground in Iran, and know they are under constant threat of attack. Still they have confidence in the strength of their country.
One would hope that the Obama adimistration would have enough understanding of Middle Eastern culture and philosophy to understand that heavy handedness will not work in Iran. Time will tell.