Gen. Wesley Clark: Joe Lieberman is at it again

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gen-wesley-clark/joe-lieberman-is-at-it-ag_b_51828.html

After wrongly supporting George W. Bush's strategic blunder of attacking Iraq, and continuing to support Bush's failed policies after the invasion, Senator Joe Lieberman made irresponsible comments this weekend regarding military action against Iran.

On CBS's Face the Nation, Lieberman said, "If don't play by the rules, we've got to use our force, and to me, that would include taking military action to stop them from doing what they're doing."

This type of "tough-talk" by the Bush Administration and folks like Senator Joe Lieberman is why VoteVets.org and I collaborated to create StopIranWar.com, calling for heavy diplomatic, economic, and political action to discourage the acquisition of nuclear capabilities by the Iranian government.

Senator Lieberman's saber rattling does nothing to help dissuade Iran from aiding Shia militias in Iraq, or trying to obtain nuclear capabilities. In fact, it's highly irresponsible and counter-productive, and I urge him to stop.

This kind of rhetoric is irresponsible and only plays into the hands of President Ahmadinejad, and those who seek an excuse for military action. What we need now is full-fledged engagement with Iran. We should be striving to bridge the gulf of almost 30 years of hostility and only when all else fails should there be any consideration of other options. The Iranians are very much aware of US military capabilities. They don't need Joe Lieberman to remind them that we are the militarily dominant power in the world today.

Only someone who never wore the uniform or thought seriously about national security would make threats at this point. What our soldiers need is responsible strategy, not a further escalation of tensions in the region. Senator Lieberman must act more responsibly and tone down his threat machine.

Visit StopIranWar.com, and sign the petition to President Bush today!

We cannot let people like Joe Lieberman dictate the terms of this debate.

[Totally Committed]

1. This part is awesome:

Only someone who never wore the uniform or thought seriously about national security would make threats at this point. What our soldiers need is responsible strategy, not a further escalation of tensions in the region. Senator Lieberman must act more responsibly and tone down his threat machine.

It's about time someone took Holy Joe on!

TC

[marmar]

2. Joe Lieberman is a sick puppy....

I would love to hear a microphones-off candid from Al Gore about what he thinks of his former running mate now....

[MNDemNY]

3. How hard is it to recall a Senator in CT.??

[PATRICK]

4. The only change

is that the fast timetable might be postponed pending a useful provocation or moment. THAT is what Cheney frets about in his natural cowardice and anger. Bush and the Iranians would take more time for the dance.
The Bush I "moderates" will do nothing to actually stop it and little to divert it. very little, less than before Iraq, is being overtly done to prevent it. If there is any question as to when, it hinges upon whether there is any time best suited politically or otherwise that might be debatable. it is hardly on hold. The progress advances daily with less opposition than to touchscreen voting. Only sheer incompetence or inability or certain failure seems to offer any possible pause and that does not seen to enter into Peerless Leader's tiny brain.

[Tom Joad]

5. Think Joe is crazy? Listen to John Bolton talk to aipac fans....

http://www.stopaipac.org/boltontape.htm

Let me turn now to the question of Iran and what I think the situation is there. The Security Council just passed a resolution. The resolution that the Security Council passed at the end of last month imposing certain limited sanctions on Iran, obviously the product of a long effort based on Iran’s refusal to comply with the earlier Security Council resolution that gave them until August 31st to cease their uranium enrichment activities. I’d have to say because I’m a private citizen and therefore a free man again, and these are my personal views, now, that this sanctions resolution is very disappointing. It is not as tough as I would have liked to have seen it. In many respects the Russians did an outstanding job from their point of view in protecting Iran, in narrowing the scope of the sanctions, in limiting the effectiveness, I think, of many of the things that we wanted to try and do to prevent the Iranians from continuing to make progress on their nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

I think the Iranian reaction to the sanctions resolution has been very telling in that respect, although they’ve passed a resolution in parliament to re-evaluate their relation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, they have not rejected the sanctions resolution, they have not done anything more dramatic, such as withdrawing from the nonproliferation treaty, or throwing out inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which I actually hoped they would do – that that kind of reaction would produce a counter-reaction that actually would be more beneficial to us.

Talkin to aipac devotees. audio at above link.