Edwards: 'Iran must know world won't back down'

It's stories like this that scare the shit out of me when it comes to possible attacks on Iran and what the Democrats would do to prevent Bush carrying out such a lunatic action.

In a speech at a conference in Herzliya, Israel, former Senator John Edwards (D-NC) took aim at Iran, warning that the "world won't back down." The 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee, who recently launched a new presidential campaign, also said that Israel should be allowed to join NATO.

Although Edwards has criticized the war in Iraq, and has urged bringing the troops home, the former senator firmly declared that "all options must remain on the table," in regards to dealing with Iran, whose nuclear ambition "threatens the security of Israel and the entire world."

"Let me be clear: Under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to have nuclear weapons," Edwards said. "For years, the US hasn’t done enough to deal with what I have seen as a threat from Iran. As my country stayed on the sidelines, these problems got worse."

Edwards continued, "To a large extent, the US abdicated its responsibility to the Europeans. This was a mistake. The Iranian president’s statements such as his description of the Holocaust as a myth and his goals to wipe Israel off the map indicate that Iran is serious about its threats."

"Once Iran goes nuclear, other countries in the Middle East will go nuclear, making Israel’s neighborhood much more volatile," Edwards said.

Edwards added, "Iran must know that the world won’t back down. The recent UN resolution ordering Iran to halt the enrichment of uranium was not enough. We need meaningful political and economic sanctions. We have muddled along for far too long. To ensure that Iran never gets nuclear weapons, we need to keep ALL options on the table, Let me reiterate – ALL options must remain on the table."

Now I know that all US politicians go slightly loopy when the subject of Israel comes up, and I am bearing in mind that Edwards made these remarks inside Israel itself. However, what's worrying is that he seems to be falling over himself to stress that war is still an option.

That is a simply insane position to hold considering the quagmire that the US are currently bogged down in in Iraq.

I expect such nonsense from neo-con lunatics, but when it's coming from a Democratic candidate for the 2008 Presidency, it's enough to make you despair.

But then I recently read Nancy Pelosi saying:

"There are those who contend that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is all about Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza," Pelosi said as she rallied AIPAC loyalists. "This is absolute nonsense. In truth, the history of the conflict is not over occupation, and never has been: it is over the fundamental right of Israel to exist."

When it comes to the subject of Israel, the Democrats are every bit as deluded as the Republicans are, and they certainly - with the notable and much derided exception of Carter - insist on viewing this conflict through an Israeli prism.

However, when we are talking about any future conflict with Iran we must never forget that, like the war with Iraq, the security of Israel is as central to the war as any other issue.

Neither Edwards nor Pelosi's remarks convince me that the Democrats will do enough to stop Bush from the insane course that he is currently heading on where an attack on Iran seems to be inevitable.

Certainly Perle and Netanyahu are already in full throttle as they demand action. Edwards has sadly now added his voice to that cacophony of warmongering.

I find that incredibly bloody depressing.

UPDATE:

Glenn Greenwald has a very good article that might explain why Edwards is banging this particular drum at this particular time:

New York is the ATM for American politicians. Large amounts of money come from the Jewish community," he said. "If you're running for president and you want dollars from that group, you need to show that you're interested in the issue that matters most to them."

Click title for full article.

tag: Israel, Iraq war, Netenyahu, Ahmadinejad, Iran, John Edwards, Nancy Pelosi