Iran dominates Repub. debate

[CosmicRocker]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45271673/ns/politics/
Iran dominates GOP contenders' debate
Gingrich touts covert action against Tehran, including 'taking out their scientists'
The Republican presidential contenders met in a debate on foreign policy Saturday with the question of Iran atop the agenda.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said as president he’d order covert operations to stop the Iranian regime from building nuclear weapons, with options including “taking out their scientists” and “breaking the regime and bringing it down.”

And he added, “all of it (is) deniable,” that is, he as president would deny that the United States was behind the operations.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, issued a report Tuesday in which it said Iran appeared to have worked on designing a nuclear bomb.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney said President Barack Obama’s policy toward Iran was his “greatest failing, from a foreign policy standpoint.”

Romney said he work to impose “crippling sanctions” on Iran and would work for regime change. And he said he would be willing to take military action to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons.


“If we re-elect Barack Obama, Iran will have a nuclear weapon. And if you elect Mitt Romney, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon," the former Massachusetts governor declared.

.Former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain said he would provide support to the opposition in Iran to help overthrow the current regime.

Ron Paul warns against 'war propaganda'
All the talk of confrontation with Iran prompted Rep. Ron Paul of Texas to warn against “war propaganda that went on against Iraq” and led to the 2003 American invasion of Iraq.

Paul said if a president wanted to go to war, he would need to abide by the Constitution and do it “the old-fashioned way” by asking Congress to declare war.

Paul also clashed on the issue of torture with Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.

Bachmann said she supported the use of waterboarding suspected terrorists to extract information.

But Paul said waterboarding was torture and that torture is “un-American,” “uncivilized,” as well as illegal, immoral and impractical — since, Paul argued, torture doesn’t yield useful information from terrorist suspects.

Huntsman wants pull-out from Afghanistan
On the question of Afghanistan, Jon Huntsman, who served as Obama's ambassador to China, stood out from the crowd by saying all U.S. troops should be withdrawn.

"I say it's time to come home. I say this nation has achieved its key objectives," he said, including free elections and the dismantling of al Qaida.

“This nation’s future is not Afghanistan, this nation’s future is not Iran,” Huntsman said. “This nation’s future is how prepared we are to meet the 21st century competitive challenges: That’s economic and that’s education … I don’t want to be nation building in Afghanistan when this nation so desperately needs to be built.”

Romney said he supports a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Gingrich warned that the intertwined problems of Pakistan and Afghanistan are “so much bigger and deeper a problem than we’ve talked about as a country

[CosmicRocker]

President Barack Obama said Saturday that he and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev intend to "shape a common response" to new allegations Iran has been covertly trying to build a nuclear bomb.

The president spoke to reporters as he and Medvedev met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. He also met separately with the leaders of China and Japan.

Hosting the APEC summit in his native Hawaii, Obama said earlier the "broad outlines" of a deal had been reached on the Transpacific Partnership, a regional free trade pact being negotiated by the United States and eight other countries.

It was hailed by U.S. officials as Obama's signature achievement of the summit and a possible template for an eventual APEC-wide free trade zone. APEC's 21 members make up the world's most dynamic region and account for more than half of global economic output.

Obama sought Saturday to position the United States as a Pacific power determined to get more American jobs by tapping the explosive potential of the Asia-Pacific.

For businesses, he said, "this is where the action's going to be."

"There is no region in the world that we consider more vital than the Asia-Pacific region," he told chief executives gathered for a regional economic summit.

The president went so far as to say the United States had grown "a little bit lazy" in trying to attract business to the United States.

Russia trade
Speaking to reporters at the end of his meeting with Medvedev, Obama said the two "reaffirmed our intention to work and shape a common response so we can move Iran to follow its international obligations when it comes to its nuclear program.''

The two also discussed Afghanistan and Syria, Obama said.

Their meeting was their first chance to discuss Friday's report from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which raised new questions about Iran's nuclear program.

..The watchdog agency provided evidence Tehran has conducted research, testing and procurement which could help it develop nuclear weapons. Tehran has rejected the material as a fabrication by the United States and its allies, maintaining its nuclear program is purely for energy and research.

Obama also said Russia's expected entrance into the World Trade Organization is a testament to Medvedev's hard work and will be good for the United States, Russia and the world.

[CosmicRocker]

Obama sounds sane, but getting a "common response - ain't happening as Russia just rejected sanctons.

He's also gonna extend ( increase) the Pacific Fleet.

He sounds more sane -but I don't trust ANY of them, not to go to war over Iranian nukes.

[tutonic]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/13/politi...html?hpt=hp_t3

[CosmicRocker]

they're all fucking nuts. Obama is crafty, at least doesn't come out and say we're going to war. At least he's TRYING to bring China and Russia into sanctions.
Props for that. Not that I believe anyting this guy says, but at least he's not overtly warlike ( in this sole instance)

The Repub's are INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tutonic]

Obama sounds sane, but getting a "common response - ain't happening as Russia just rejected sanctons.

He's also gonna extend ( increase) the Pacific Fleet.

He sounds more sane -but I don't trust ANY of them, not to go to war over Iranian nukes.

Nuclear weapons are illegal under Islamic law.

[hd79]

So, if any GOP member other than Paul gets in, we are going to war with Iran?

Was Beck the personal advisor to everyone except Paul?

[CosmicRocker]

Nuclear weapons are illegal under Islamic law.

nice. means nothing. Iran is surely persuing them, rocket program, IAEA report.

But the whole world wants them now -wanna be in the "big boys club".

Proliferation is everywhere, Iran is not going to say "well it's illegal under Sharia"

we just got to learn to live with them, another war ( military action) is even more insane -

[CosmicRocker]

So, if any GOP member other than Paul gets in, we are going to war with Iran?

Was Beck the personal advisor to everyone except Paul?

Obama is selling bunker busters to the UAE -why is that?
what possible use other then Iran?

It's gettig dangerous, but to actually attack Iran would cause the whole region to go on war footing.

It would make Iraq look like a walk in the park.

[hd79]

Obama is selling bunker busters to the UAE -why is that?
what possible use other then Iran?

It's gettig dangerous, but to actually attack Iran would cause the whole region to go on war footing.

It would make Iraq look like a walk in the park.

Yes, those are hardly defensive weapons, though I suppose it could be argued the intent is for Iran's neighbors to have it available if Iran is the instigator in anything.

Nevertheless, I agree. We have been involved in the ME long enough, and its time we remove ourselves from the area.

I still believe, personally, as some other's have stated, that there is a lot of blustering and posturing going on, and I don't believe anything will come of the rustling of the feathers, at least not soon.