Sec. Clinton echoes 'concern' over Iran, 'over and over and over again'

[bigtree]

March 5, 2009

(CNN) — {snip}

The Tehran government is intent on interfering in the Middle East, (Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) told reporters aboard her flight to Brussels from the region.

"There is a great deal of concern about Iran from the entire region," she said. "I heard it over and over and over again in Sharm el Sheikh, in Israel, in Ramallah.

"It is clear Iran intends to interfere in the internal affairs of all these people and try to continue their efforts to fund terrorism — whether it is Hezbollah or Hamas or other proxies."

She also reiterated what Obama said he had told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in a "lengthy letter" — that the proposed U.S. missile defense system in Europe targets Iran and not Russia.

"We've made the point to Russia and will again, and I think they may be beginning to really believe it," Clinton said. "This is not about Russia. We have real potential threats, and obviously Iran is the name we put to them as a kind of stand-in for the range of threats we foresee."


http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/05/clinton-warns-of-iranian-threat-to-europe-russia/

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Bogeymen remain popular in the new administration.

So, our forever courageous and peace loving congress will pump more money into the MIC.

It looks like the more things "change" the more they remain the same.

[KittyWampus]

3. Actually, Iran isn't an innocent. The Clinton quote I just read sounds pretty realistic.

OF course, there are some DU'ers who believe it is just the evil USA who benefits from and sponsors violence.

Although I sort of chuckled a bit to myself about her saying Iran is a sort of stand in.

You'd think it'd kill an American diplomat or politician to ever NAME Saudi Arabia as a sponsor of anti-American violence.

[bigtree]

6. It shouldn't go unsaid that the governments of Iraq and Afghanistan

. . . are pretty far along in normalizing relations with Iran, both already with extensive economic and security agreements forged through direct talks between their leaders.


___Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Emomali Rahmon, and Hamid Karzai are to attend the meeting coincided with the Navrouz festival - Persian speakers' ancient ceremony, Faramarz Tamanna said in an interview with the Mehr News Agency, according to Tehran Times.

The previous tripartite meeting of the presidents of Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran was held in Dushanbe on August 28, 2008. In the course of the talks, Emomali Rahmon, Hamid Karzai, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad discussed a number of projects for tripartite and regional cooperation. The heads of state first met in narrow, and then an enlarged meeting with participation of the delegations of the three countries was held. During the meeting, it was noted that implementation of projects for construction of tunnels, bridges, Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran highway, and a railway link connecting Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran as well as power grids from Tajikistan to Iran and Pakistan via Afghanistan would boost trade, increase exports and ease transit costs in the region, as well as expand passenger traffic, and raise wellbeing of the population of the region. The sides also noted that implementation of those project would support reconstruction of Afghanistan's economy and reestablishment of peace and stability there. The negotiations ended with signing of two documents on trilateral cooperation and one document on bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran: a memorandum on trilateral cooperation in the field of energy; a joint statement of Emomali Rahmon, Hamid Karzai and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the results of the meeting; and a memorandum on completion of construction works at the Istiqlol Tunnel in Tajikistan.

http://news-en.trend.az/cis/tajikistan/1434811.html

[TBF]

2. "The Tehran government is intent on interfering in the Middle East"

At least they live in the region. What is our government's excuse?

[KittyWampus]

4. kind of funny in a black humor sort of way. I think it's funny she calls Iran a stand-in

sort of an abbreviation of all the Middle Eastern countries meddling in the Middle East.

Heavens to Betsy, an American pol EVER mention the Saudis by name as engaging in state-sponsored terrorism.

[bigtree]

8. you have to laugh

. . . at the U.S. accusing Middle Easterners of 'meddling' in the Middle East.

[burythehatchet]

11. these little assumptions just become part of a lopsided debate

I always wondered how the Department of War would handle a situation where Iran went in and occupied Mexico....and then complained that the US is interfering. Funny as hell. It is a symptom of the basic source of the problem, white man's belief that non-white people are just not as equal.

[L0oniX]

5. Does she have some investment hidden or otherwise connection to the MIC?

For another thing ...Why should we fight for Israel? Don't they have enough ammo to blow up the world just like we do?

[KittyWampus]

7. She was the Queen of Military Industrial Complex Earmarks as NY Senator. She brought home more bacon

for the War Machine as any other Senator.

As a NY'er, I wasn't thrilled.

[karynnj]

9. Here are links to Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing this week

The first was on Tuesday and it was intended to get various opinions of what was happening - http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090303a.html and one today - http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090305a.html which was on policy and included Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski and General Brent Scowcroft, USAF (Ret.) (I'm listening to the second now - and from Brzezinki's first comment, he reviewed the Tuesday hearing. )

These hearings are scary - even with Kerry chairing and Lugar as ranking member. (Kerry yesterday also commented on Iraq during a Q&A after a speech he gave yesterday on the middle east at the Brookings institute - http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=284420-1 Although he agreed with the seriousness of the problem, he expressed hope in the results of Obama's willingness to speak to them - something he and many Democrats recommended for the last 4 or 5 years.)

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

10. Yeah those fucking Middle Easterners messing around in the Middle East. The nerve of these people. n...