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Hagel sez US should be talking with Iran
Sen. Chuck Hagel reasserted his differences with President Bush's foreign policy Thursday, calling in part for a more measured approach to Iran's nuclear ambitions.Speaking to about 30 journalists who cover the military, the Nebraska Republican said a diplomatic approach was vital to confronting Iran, which has been pressing for nuclear technology. "I think one thing we ought to be doing is engaging the Iranians. Why aren't we talking to them? That's the essence of good foreign policy," he said. "We must find a way to establish some relationship based on common interests." Hagel said he was not convinced that military action against Iran was currently a viable option. "You have to ask yourself what we would get in return. Would we destroy their capability to produce nuclear weapons?" Hagel said. "I don't think so." U.S. leaders should also take into account the large portion of the Iranian population below the age of 21 who are sympathetic to Western ideals, Hagel said. "We have to be careful we don't drive those people away from us, and if you attack them, they're sure . . . not going to embrace America and say, 'Thank you very much,'" he said. Hagel, a consistent critic of Bush's handling of the war in Iraq, also reasserted his belief that a larger, multinational force could have helped ease Iraq's transition to democracy. "I was saying three years ago, you can't unilaterally make the decision to invade countries," he said. "We are faced with a global challenge and that's going to require a global response. The U.S. can't go it alone." Progress remains painfully slow in Iraq, as evidenced by decreased electrical output and oil production, as well as continued insurgent attacks and U.S. casualties, Hagel said. Still, he didn't agree with suggestions that U.S. forces begin withdrawing. "I think if the U.S. pulls out now, there's a real chance for a civil war in Iraq," he said. His criticisms of the war in Iraq are based on his experience as a soldier in the Vietnam War, Hagel said. "As long as I'm here, I owe it to those who died in Vietnam and their families to keep asking tough questions," he said. "Most of both parties were strangely silent during the Vietnam War. So who suffered? All those poor young guys who got chewed up every day." Hagel also got in a gibe at Vice President Dick Cheney's accidental shooting of a hunting partner last weekend. Referring to Cheney's repeated draft deferrals during the Vietnam War, Hagel said, "If he'd been in the military, he would have learned gun safety." Posted by: Dan Darling 2006-02-18 |
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