Hillary: Iran will be "obliterated" over Israel attack

[Grendel]

Clinton on an Iran Attack: 'Obliterate Them'

Clinton further displayed tough talk in an interview airing on "Good Morning America" Tuesday. ABC News' Chris Cuomo asked Clinton what she would do if Iran attacked Israel with nuclear weapons.

"I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran," Clinton said. "In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them." Threats do not equal national security cred.

Maybe it's just me, but I think this is an exceptionally poor strategy for political gain.

Is she just trying to one-up John "Bomb bomb Iran" (http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/19/bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-iran/)McCain?

EDIT:

And now her staff is backpedaling for her (http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Clintons_tough_talk.html) claiming that "massive retaliation" and "obliteration" don't refer to nuclear action.

This smacks of nuclear sabre-rattling to win a primary.

Crazy.

[toxicangel19]

Threats do not equal national security cred.

Maybe it's just me, but I think this is an exceptionally poor strategy for political gain.

Is she just trying to one-up John "Bomb bomb Iran" (http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/19/bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-iran/)McCain?

EDIT:

And now her staff is backpedaling for her (http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Clintons_tough_talk.html) claiming that "massive retaliation" and "obliteration" don't refer to nuclear action.

This smacks of nuclear sabre-rattling to win a primary.

Crazy.


darn candidates will say anything these days.....it will never be about helping people only working agendas for the oil and pharmaceutical companies and stuffing the hush hush money in their pockets......

[Aurone]

I don't even bother listening to her anymore cause it's just desperation to me. She went as far recently to do a Fear Add against Obama that compares thim to Osoma Bin Laden. Mind you, Bill Cliton in 04 stated that people shouldn't look to fear adds in support for Kerry. Makes me wonder that if they weren't married what Bill would think of her strategy.

[Luris Blear]

I can't believe I'm standing up for Hillary. I'll try to keep my usual disdain for her present.

There are ways to "obliterate" an entire country without dropping nukes. There are countless lost civilizations in the world and none of them succumbed to "The Big One." Rome, Mycinae, ancient Egypt, Aztec civilization. Pretty much all gone.

More currently, Hillary's brand of government buyoffs being made into law "for the people" recently ruined not just Russia, but an entire Soviet Republic made of many nations.

[Grendel]

There are ways to "obliterate" an entire country without dropping nukes. There are countless lost civilizations in the world and none of them succumbed to "The Big One." Rome, Mycinae, ancient Egypt, Aztec civilization. Pretty much all gone.Maybe, but those weren't the ways she was talking about. As it appears, it looks like I missed one that makes her surrogates' flailing look even worse (http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brad-wilmouth/2008/04/22/olbermann-frets-imperial-hillarys-pledge-defend-israel-vs-iran):
"Their use of nuclear weapons against Israel would provoke a nuclear response from the United States, which personally I believe would prevent it from happening. And that we would try to help the other countries that might be intimidated and bullied into submission by Iran because they were a nuclear power, avoid that fate by creating this new security umbrella."

[Luris Blear]

Oh. Well, then. Yeah.

Look, I don't even like the lady. I was willing to give "the other side" a fair shake and continue to ask the same questions I'd ask on a Bush hit piece. Even then it wasn't always about supporting Bush, but wanting the whole story.

So, yeah. I'll just bow out gracefully from here. Not in shame -- I'm not ashamed of asking questions. But, you see, I have nothing nice to say about this candidate. I'll just let her say it for me.

[Driden]

I'll be honest we are screwed but atleast if we do happen to go to war with Iran we will at the very least be fighting for something unlike Iraq.

[Grendel]

I'll be honest we are screwed but atleast if we do happen to go to war with Iran we will at the very least be fighting for something unlike Iraq.And what would we be fighting for? Hill is talking about obligating ourselves to launch nuclear retaliation for any similar act in the entire region (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/22/keith-olbermann-interview_n_97951.html): "I think that we should be looking to create an umbrella of deterrence that goes much further than just Israel. Of course, I would make it clear to the Iranians that an attack on Israel would incur massive retaliation from the United States, but I would do the same with other countries in the region."That's an enormous shift in policy that she seems to be throwing out there rather cavalierly.

[WarBeast]

And what would we be fighting for? Hill is talking about obligating ourselves to launch nuclear retaliation for any similar act in the entire region (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/22/keith-olbermann-interview_n_97951.html): That's an enormous shift in policy that she seems to be throwing out there rather cavalierly.

There is a reason Hillary gets the big contributions from the military-industial complex... they know she's gonna be good for business...

[Driden]

And what would we be fighting for?

Iran has hidden agendas which could possibly be fear, power control over the middle east, war, or possibly even attack us. I believe Iran is a place we should focus our attention more to prevent a disaster instead of Iraq. We are wasting our resources, spreading ourselves thin and getting weaker as a country over wars we simply do not need meanwhile a real threat could arise and we will not be ready for it. We definitely need peace talks and negotiations but if we need to defend ourselves or our allies we will be ready and imo that first step is getting the hell out of iraq

[FreddyKruger316]

Iran has hidden agendas which could possibly be fear, power control over the middle east, war, or possibly even attack us. I believe Iran is a place we should focus our attention more to prevent a disaster instead of Iraq. We are wasting our resources, spreading ourselves thin and getting weaker as a country over wars we simply do not need meanwhile a real threat could arise and we will not be ready for it. We definitely need peace talks and negotiations but if we need to defend ourselves or our allies we will be ready and imo that first step is getting the hell out of iraq
The same people who 5 years ago sold you the lies that Iraq had WMD's and was this huge threat to us in order to justify their invasion are now telling you that Iran is also a threat and military action is a must. They lied to you before so what makes you so eager to trust them now? I agree that there are hidden agendas at play here, but it's not Iran that has them.

[toxicangel19]

The same people who 5 years ago sold you the lies that Iraq had WMD's and was this huge threat to us in order to justify their invasion are now telling you that Iran is also a threat and military action is a must. They lied to you before so what makes you so eager to trust them now? I agree that there are hidden agendas at play here, but it's not Iran that has them.


iran has been talking about destroying isreal for years....if they get their hands on some nukes i don't know about you, but i don't think they wouldn't waste anytime in completing their little anti-semitic mission.....i can't tell you for 100% whats going on in iraq is right,but i got friends who are coming and going their everday from my clinic and i can tell you they tell us stories about how the kids run up to them happy to see them and how they have had actual alqueda members fight against their battalion......i don't know where you get your news from but mine is coming from the front lines.....i know i may have to go there i don't know when but i know im on the chopping block....

[Grendel]

Iran has hidden agendas which could possibly be fear, power control over the middle east, war, or possibly even attack us. I believe Iran is a place we should focus our attention more to prevent a disaster instead of Iraq. We are wasting our resources, spreading ourselves thin and getting weaker as a country over wars we simply do not need meanwhile a real threat could arise and we will not be ready for it. We definitely need peace talks and negotiations but if we need to defend ourselves or our allies we will be ready and imo that first step is getting the hell out of iraqI agree with the second part, but can't see much indication of all the machinations you're attributing to Iran.

As far as "power control over the middle east" we've already done the work for them to solidify their power base. Their long-standing enemy gone, the new connections they're building in Iraq enable them to wield power and influence legitimately, without firing a shot. A combative agenda would be completely useless to them.

And attacking us? Practically speaking, that's not even an option. They lack the means and it gets them nothing. Without the opportunity of the 160,000 targets we've kindly shipped next door, they've got nothing.

[Tragicallyhip]

iran has been talking about destroying isreal for years....if they get their hands on some nukes i don't know about you, but i don't think they wouldn't waste anytime in completing their little anti-semitic mission.

Iran's not going to launch a nuclear attack on Israel, even if they do get nukes.

For one thing, if they do acquire nukes and intend to use them, they still don't have the means of defending their country against a nuclear strike. There are US nuclear submarines in the Gulf, meaning that all major Iranian military and civilian targets would likely be 'obliterated' before the Iranian missile hit its target. The Iranians might be anti-Semitic, but they have no personal interest in dying in a conflict with Israel. That's why the use Palestinians rather than waste their valuable money and resources in lauching attacks on Israel.

Which brings me to my next point. Israel is an incredibly small country. Any nuclear strike would also likely irradiate Lebanonese, Syrian, Jordanian, Egyptian and possibly Saudi territory too. That's unlikely to win Iran any friends. It's also going to slaughter a vast number of Palestinians. Again, not good PR for Iran.

As well as the 'collateral' damage, there's also a distinct possibility that the soon-to-be-nuked Israel would decide to take the military capabilities of any of the surrounding nations out too, just in case they were planning to repeat the 66 and 73 strikes and all rush Israel at once. Again, Syria might talk tough, but they're not likely to think that having Damascus flattened is an acceptable price to pay for Iranian belligerence. In fact, should Iran launch a nuclear attack, I think it would probably take about 15-20 seconds for the Syrian ambassador (followed by his Saudi counterpart, etc etc) to bang on the White House front door, wielding a carefully-worded condemnation of the Iranian attack and begging the President to phone Israel and let them know that Syria stands with them during these dark times ("and please don't turn Damascus into a pile of dust. Pretty please.")

In short, Ahmedinawotsit talks tough and shouts a lot, but even he knows that the benefits of having nuclear weapons disappear the moment you fire them. As a deterrent they could make Israel or the USA think twice about any pre-emptive strikes, but if Iran is the first to fire a nuke, the worst has already happened and after that they're not going to deter a damn thing.

[Grendel]

Iran's not going to launch a nuclear attack on Israel, even if they do get nukes.

For one thing, if they do acquire nukes and intend to use them, they still don't have the means of defending their country against a nuclear strike. There are US nuclear submarines in the Gulf, meaning that all major Iranian military and civilian targets would likely be 'obliterated' before the Iranian missile hit its target.To say nothing of the fact that Israel doesn't need us to do a thing. They've got their own button to push, which makes Hillary's threat even more stupefying.