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James Baker: Talking to an enemy is not appeasement
Have to pass this along to other viewers -- it says alot!!
Republican James Baker III, who served as Ronald Reagan's Chief of Staff and George H. W. Bush's Secretary of State had an interesting interview on Fox News' Hannity and Colmes show on Friday, October 6 2006 during which he said "Talking to an enemy is not, in my view, appeasement."
Video:
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Comments (6)
But the thing is this isn't the issue. The issue is talking to them without preconditions and, more importantly, who's talking to whom?
Obama certainly has a superb case to argue that there need to be diplomatic exchanges between the US foreign policy establishment and hopefully sane people in the Iranian establishment.
He was on very weak ground to come out with the President talking to the Iranian nutter without any preconditions.
I think you'd find that when he first came out with it in the debate all of his foreign policy advisors cringed and then wondered frantically how to get around that one. Which is exactly why he later added `preparation`.
May 19, 2008 10:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think Ahmedinajad is a nutter. I think he's said some very harsh things and that he has some very extreme views but from listening to the speech he gave at Columbia last year, he's definitely not a nutter. He's very shrewd and I think he knows what is in his country's interests which is why I think there needs to be talks without having him fulfill a list of conditions before we even talk to him. Winston Churchill once said about the Soviet Union- "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest." Once we figure out what is in Iran's national interest, I think we can definitely solve this Iran "problem" without going to war.
May 20, 2008 12:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have listened to Sen. Obama and Bush/McCain on this issue with talking with our so called enemies and I am once again amazed at the egnorance of my fellow Americans.
I went back and read the comments the voters in W.Virginia and their reasons for not supporting Obama and I thought to myself, these are the people who voted for Bush. I always asked, who are these crazy who vote for this guy and there on the screen the culprits were presented in black and white and in full color.
There is a total lack of understanding of the world that is sewn in the fabric of most Americans and politicians use this lack of knowledge to confuse and scare them away from things that the politicians know have to be done and they do this ofcourse for their own political gain. They have forgotten the true nature of being American and of truely defending this land at the expense of your own ambition.
If America does not engage Iran, Russia and China will. Russia and China have greater influence in the Middle east today then the US. Russia and China will still support Iran.
America needs to realize that we are no longer the super power. Talking to Iran is our best hope right now at peace as China and Russia control oil and the region.
May 20, 2008 1:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Baker must be kicking himself for leading Bush's post-election day fight for the Florida re-count in 2000. Again, I would really love to hear the true thoughts of George H.W. Bush right about now in light of his son's total destruction of his beloved country.
May 20, 2008 1:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Talking without pre-conditions --- go to this site to see video of Condi Rice and Colin Powell talking about talking to our enemies WITHOUT pre-conditions:
www.freewebs.com/coonsey/
May 20, 2008 8:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
This man is clearly an appeaser. I would be ready to not appease on day one.
May 20, 2008 8:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
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