Romney Suggests America Should Prepare for War Against Iran
Romney Accuses Obama of Being Weak on Iran in debate
“This is the Obama Administration’s greatest failure.”
Romney Recently Authored WSJ Op-Ed Supporting a Strong Military Option Against Iran
In a commentary published in the Wall Street Journal, Romney said he would back up US diplomacy "with a very real and very credible military option," deploying carrier battle groups to the Gulf http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hPT0FxeuTQDt8fKCpkU2LzxcHN0A?docId=CNG.157e26ff13a2c531647ebb82af797d37.91
Supports a Change in Policy, Beyond Sanctions – Including “Preparing for War”
Romney said the United States "needs a very different policy [than sanctions].” "'Si vis pacem, para bellum.' That is a Latin phrase, but the ayatollahs will have no trouble understanding its meaning from a Romney administration: If you want peace, prepare for war," he said. He stopped short of advocating military action against Iran, but attacked the Obama administration's diplomatic and sanctions-oriented approach to Tehran's nuclear program as "a case study in botched diplomacy."
"Whether this approach was rooted in naivete or in realistic expectations, can be debated. I believe it was the former," Romney wrote. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hPT0FxeuTQDt8fKCpkU2LzxcHN0A?docId=CNG.157e26ff13a2c531647ebb82af797d37.91
Obama Administration continues to pursue aggressive sanctions.
(AP) WASHINGTON — The United States is readying a range of unilateral sanctions against Iran, as well as additional measures with international partners, should the Islamic republic fail to answer fresh questions about its nuclear ambitions posed by a report released Tuesday by a United Nations watchdog.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501708_162-57320856/ap-sources-us-considers-more-iran-sanctions/
Military Leaders Agree, A Military Attack on Iran Will Not Solve Our Problems
"Even a military attack [on Iran] will only buy us time and send the [nuclear] program deeper and more covert.”
- Bob Gates, 2009 // http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-10/attack-on-iran-facilities-would-only-delay-nuclear-program-panetta-says?category=%2F
Military action against Iran could have "unintended consequences" in the region, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Thursday, hours after Tehran warned that an attack against its nuclear sites would be met by "iron fists." Still, Panetta said military action remained a last resort in the U.S. and Israeli view and stressed U.S. efforts to win tougher sanctions against Tehran. "It is important for us to make sure we apply the toughest sanctions -- economic, diplomatic pressures -- on Iran to change their behavior," Panetta said. "And we are in discussions with our allies with regards to additional sanctions that ought to be placed on Iran." http://news.yahoo.com/u-defense-chief-warns-iran-strike-consequences-234341611.html
Baltimore Sun Op-Ed - Attack on Iran Would Destabilize the Region
Finally, any attack on Iran by Israel or the U.S. would further destabilize what is already one of the most volatile regions in the world. At a time when a spike in oil prices or a disruption of supplies could seriously damage the fragile economies of Europe as well as the U.S., it would be hard to persuade our allies to support a military action that might easily spin out of control.
The U.S. must do all it can to press China and Russia to recognize the grave danger a nuclear-armed Iran poses to their own interests in the region and persuade them to urge Iran's leaders to return to the bargaining table. President Obama also needs to impress on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the severe risks involved in any Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, which his government considers (not without reason) an existential threat.
Baltimore Sun 11/11/2011
The Truman National Security Project is a leadership institute which recruits, trains, and positions progressives to lead on national security. More at www.TrumanProject.org.
