Do you think Hillary Clinton is right? Are we heading into more war?
@whiteheather39 (24403)
United States
February 15, 2007 7:52am CST
Clinton warns Bush about action in Iran By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer
Wed Feb 14, 9:27 PM ET
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton warned President Bush on Wednesday not to take any military action against Iran without getting congressional approval first.
"If the administration believes that any, any use of force against Iran is necessary, the president must come to Congress to seek that authority," Clinton said in a Senate speech.
Clinton, a member of the Armed Services Committee, voted in 2002 to give Bush the authority to use military force in Iraq — a vote that has prompted some Democrats to demand that she repudiate.
Since then, the New York senator has become an outspoken critic of Bush's handling of the war. She said the new Democratic Congress must not let him make similar mistakes in the increasingly tense relationship with Iran.
"It would be a mistake of historical proportion if the administration thought that the 2002 resolution authorizing force against Iraq was a blank check for the use of force against Iran without further congressional authorization," Clinton said.
She also insisted the resolution authorizing force against those responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks did not allow for U.S. action now against Iran.
Clinton, who has come under fire from anti-war Democrats, excoriated the previous Republican-controlled Congress for not questioning the administration over the past six years.
"We continue to experience the consequences of unchecked presidential action," she said, later adding: "This president was allowedClinton, who has come under fire from anti-war Democrats, excoriated the previous Republican-controlled Congress for not questioning the administration over the past six years.
"We continue to experience the consequences of unchecked presidential action," she said, later adding: "This president was allowed for too long to commit blunder after blunder under cover of darkness provided by an allied Republican Congress."
Clinton spoke shortly after President Bush said he was certain the Iranian government is supplying deadly weapons used by fighters in Iraq against U.S. troops, even if he can't prove that the orders came from top Iranian leaders.
"I'm going to do something about it," Bush pledged, displaying apparent irritation at being repeatedly asked about mixed administration signals on who was behind the weaponry. He said the United States is pursuing diplomatic solutions with Iran about its nuclear program and said he was not seeking a pretext for war.
U.S. officials have said that Iran is behind attacks against troops in Iraq, an assertion denied by Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
5 responses
@irisheyes (4370)
• United States
15 Feb 07
Yes, she's right. I don't like the way things are shaping up. The argument against Iran sounds a lot like the argument about "weapons of mass destruction". I've also wondered if we haven't been building up in Iraq for the sole purpose of attacking Iran. The whole scenario reeks. We've been down this road with this deceptive president before and we don't need to be mislead again.
1 person likes this
@sunshinecup (7871)
•
15 Feb 07
I do think the shrub is trying his hardest to get us into an all out world war! He reminds me of a bully trying to fight the whole darn block to prove how strong he his. Congress has got to keep him in check this time. I think they will since they learned their lesson from last time they didn't.
@merkava (1225)
• Philippines
15 Feb 07
We are still at war. As long as Bush continues his idealist vigilante ways the US will have enemies for every side of the globe. Bush just likes to keep on picking on other country's affairs even if those countries present no threat at all, the US govt will sure fabricate a story that will make those countries a threat. Attacking a sovereign nation will cause war.