Will the Obama Administration Listen to Gates or Neo-Cons?
As a Bush Administration holdover, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has largely avoided Republican attacks. A Republican working in a Democratic administration, Secretary Gates seems to enjoy broad support on both sides of the aisle, and his policy recommendations are generally approved of enthusiastically by both political parties. His recent comments on Iran, however, have the […]
Graham and Netanyahu pressure Obama to ratchet up war rhetoric
On Saturday, Senator Lindsey Graham reportedly “stunned” attendees at a Halifax International Security Conference when he called for a military strike that would “neuter” the Iranian regime “not to just neutralize their nuclear program, but to sink their navy, destroy their air force and deliver a decisive blow to the Revolutionary Guard.” NIAC addressed the […]
Israeli Official’s Call for Imminent Iran Blockade is Really a Call for War
Hyperbole reached new heights this week when Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz told the Council of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations on Monday that a blockade will be necessary in two to six months to give “Iran a deadline to change its behavior.” Steinitz, a member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party and a former protégé […]
In the Struggle for Human Rights, Every Victory Brings More Work
There has been some welcome news on the Iranian human rights front in recent days. First, Iranian authorities released human rights activist Nazar Ahari yesterday from the infamous Evin Prison, and photos of her outside the prison have made their way onto the internet. Additionally, earlier in the week Iranian officials officially suspended the execution […]
Clinton’s Rhetoric on Iran: Does It Match the Administration’s Actions?
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a wide-ranging speech yesterday at the Council on Foreign Relations on the current and future United States role in the international community. In addition to commenting on general trends and intentions, Secretary Clinton discussed many individual policy issues, one of which was Iran. She described how the United States […]
Who is reporting on the report?
The International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday expressed concerns about Iran’s nuclear facilities and capabilities as part of its quarterly report onthe Iranian nuclear program, eliciting an immediate outcry from news outlets, with several calling the new report clear evidence that tough sanctions and even military action might be necessary to prevent Iran from “going […]