Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:28 pm
Last night on FNC, former Sec. of State Henry Kissinger became one of the more high profile Republicans to endorse President Obama’s handling of the post election situation in Iran. Kissinger said that any vocal US support behind one of the contenders would handicap that person.
Here is the video from Think Progress:
Kissinger said, “Well, you know, I was a McCain supporter and — but I think the president has handled this well. Anything that the United States says that puts us totally behind one of the contenders, behind Mousavi, would be a handicap for that person. And I think it’s the proper position to take that the people of Iran have to make that decision.”
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He said that any U.S. support would be used by Ahmadinejad against his opposition, “Of course, we have to state our fundamental convictions of freedom of speech, free elections, and I don’t see how President Obama could say less than he has, and even that is considered intolerable meddling. He has, after all, carefully stayed away from saying things that seem to support one side or the other. And I think it was the right thing to do because public support for the opposition would only be used by the — by Ahmadinejad — if I can ever learn his name properly — against Mousavi.”
Dr. Kissinger is displaying a basic knowledge of Iranian attitudes that many in his own party sorely lack. Remember doing the Bush years, when anyone criticized the Iraq war they would be accused by Republicans of playing politics with national security? Now that Obama is president, many Republicans including John McCain, are trying to create a conflict so that they can try to carry out their neo-con fantasy of regime change. The Republican advice would endanger US national security.
If Obama wanted to undo any of the progress that he might be making in the Middle East, the quickest way to do it would be to meddle in Iran. If the US got involved in supporting the protests, it would appear to people in the Middle East to be business as usual in the US.
What is happening in Iran is domestic and organic, and should not be meddled or tampered with. The protesters haven’t asked for US support, so we shouldn’t stick our noses into where we aren’t wanted.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
