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Quote by: sdbest  I couldn't agree more. Clinton should never had broached the subject, nor should she have allowed the notion to have gained any traction. It demonstrated, in my view, very poor judgment given that important allies and adversaries are parsing every word the candidates say.
More to the point, the Iranians have demonstrated a very pragmatic approach to foreign relations. They are not irrational fanatics, something Clinton ought to know. The idea that Iran would launch a nuclear first-strike attack on Israel, which possesses nuclear weapons, is absurd. |
One of the things I find startling is the extent to which people consider Iran a threat. It really isn't. As you say, the idea of a nuclear strike from Iran is definitely crazy. I read an interesting paper from the National Defense University which argued that a nuclear-armed Iran would actually increase stability in the Middle East. I can't remember all of the reasoning but there were a few points that stuck with me. In particular, the authors of the paper ruled out any possibility of Iran attacking Israel or furnishing a terrorist group with nuclear weapons because that would almost certainly result in Iran's destruction. I'll try to find the paper if I can.
I agree that it was irresponsible for Hillary to bring up such an example; I just wish that the belief that Iran is a threat were limited to her rather than being shared by a number of politicians. McCain is even nuttier than she is.
EDIT: here is the paper, if anyone cares:
http://www.ndu.edu/inss/mcnair/mcnair69/McNairPDF.pdf