Kristol: Iran Halting Nuclear Weapons Program Is ‘Another Feather In The Cap For Iraq Invasion’
Kristol: Iran Halting Nuclear Weapons Program Is ‘Another Feather In The Cap For Iraq Invasion’
Today in the Fox News Sunday roundtable, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol claimed that the reason Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in mid-2003 was because of the U.S. invasion of Iraq:
I believe we invaded a neighboring country in 2003 and removed their dictator and that sent shock waves through the region and at the time people were quite worried. Qaddafi gave up his program, he dismantled his. We took it out. Iran didn’t dismantle anything. That’s why they remain a threat. They halted it, maybe they’ve restarted it, maybe not. This is yet another feather in the cap for the invasion of Iraq.
NPR’s Juan Williams responded by calling Kristol the “iron glove,” asking, “So you want us to start invading everybody everywhere? That’ll stop all nuclear proliferation?” Kristol replied that if it works, it’s “a pretty good thing.” Watch it:
Libya did not give up its nuclear weapons program in 2003 because of the Iraq war. As Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Joseph Cirincione noted, negotiations with Libya stretched “over three administrations,” resulting in a deal that “cost little, caused no deaths, and was 100 percent effective.” At the time, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair called the news a “victory for diplomacy.”
Kristol has no proof for his claims. The unclassified key judgments of the NIE never once mention the Iraq invasion. If anything, Iran has been empowered by the Iraq war. As the LA Times noted in 2006:
In the 1980s, Iran spent eight years and thousands of lives waging a war to overthrow Hussein, whose regime buffered the Sunni Muslim-dominated Arab world from Iran. … Now Iraq’s fledgling democracy has placed power in the hands of the nation’s Shiite majority and its Kurdish allies, many of whom lived as exiles in Iran and maintain strong religious, cultural and linguistic ties to it.
Kristol’s remarks mirror those of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who also said on Thursday that Iraq was the reason Iran gave up its program. “What big thing happened in 2003?” he asked. “We deposed Saddam Hussein. America showed massive military force in the country right next to Iran called Iraq.”
Transcript:
KRISTOL: Well, if Iran halted the weapons part of its nuclear weapons program in 2003, one has to ask what happened in 2003? Why might they have thought it was a prudent idea to put it on hold for awhile?
I believe we invaded a neighboring country in 2003 and removed their dictator and that sent shock waves through the region and at the time people were quite worried. Qaddafi gave up his program, he dismantled his. We took it out. Iran didn’t dismantle anything. That’s why they remain a threat. They halted it, maybe they’ve restarted it, maybe not. This is yet another feather in the cap for the invasion of Iraq.
WILLIAMS: So you want us to start invading everybody everywhere? That’ll stop all nuclear proliferation?
KRISTOL: If the invasion of Iraq got Qaddafi to give up Libya’s program and got Iran to halt their program, that’s a pretty good thing.
WILLIAMS: You are the iron glove here. You want to beat everybody up. But I think what we are on the verge of here is an opportunity to once again really — I think this is what Robert Kagan said in the column that Chris Wallace mentioned earlier — have direct talks, really help to get this thing started, because from what we know, if they had halted development of any weaponry in 2003, as the report says, well they can’t have anything going before 2010. So that means it’s the next administration that will have to deal with it and this administration — really like Nixon to China — this consideration could be the one to go to Iran and say let’s talk and let’s see what we can work out here between the U.S. and Iran.
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59 Responses to “Kristol: Iran Halting Nuclear Weapons Program Is ‘Another Feather In The Cap For Iraq Invasion’”
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Kristol is a pathetic spinmeister.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:07 pmNot even the most partial actuary can justify giving nukes and cash to Muslim countries anymore.
America needs to freeze out countries that breed terrorists. Every last one of them.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:12 pmWant to invade North Korea, Kristol?
December 9th, 2007 at 12:13 pmSo IDIOT Krystal says Iran halted nuke program
whish is great; shows how good iraq invansion worked……………….
EXCEPT WE STILL MUST BOMB IRAN…. BECAUSE THEY DIDNT HALY THEIR NUKE PROGRAM????
RIGHT ????
WHICH IS IT?
December 9th, 2007 at 12:17 pmEmpire and Nuclear Weapons
good article by Joseph Gerson December 4, 2007
Foreign Policy In Focus
http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4777
December 9th, 2007 at 12:17 pmAnd also, look how comparing Nixon to Bush makes Nixon looks like an amazing president / visionary statesman, and make Bush appear exactly what he is ….. worst president ever.
Juanny williams must be on crack to the these ahole neocons will ever talk to iran. What is he thinking?
December 9th, 2007 at 12:21 pmThe funny part is how he tries to claim credit for it as a Bush victory while in the same breath attempting to keep up the fear mongering.
“Iran didn’t dismantle anything. That’s why they remain a threat. They halted it, maybe they’ve restarted it, maybe not. This is yet another feather in the cap for the invasion of Iraq.”
So which is? A feather in the cap, or they remain a threat? Cause if they remain a threat it’s not much of a feather in the cap.
Of course it’s all BS anyway. According to the NIE that he’s refering to it had nothing to do with Iraq and everything to do with a diplomacy by France, England, and Germany (that Bush wanted to have nothing to do with).
But, never the less be prepared to be hearing this garbage from right-wingers for the next 3 or 4 decades. Just like they claim Reagon ended the cold war, ignoring the reality of the USSR collapsing economically that we all witnessed, and nearly everyone else acknowledges.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:21 pmOne other exception: didn’t Iiran initiate a “come to Jesus” (sorry, I couldn’t resist the irony) meeting with BushCo *before* the invasion, saying hey, we’ll give up our weapons program if you’ll spare us the destruction of our infrastructure, which is what you’re about to do to Iraq? And if I’m not mistaken, BushCo just said they don’t negotiate with terrorists.
Do you think Iran had better intel on Iraq’s WMDs than what was being portrayed by BushCo and knew that not having dangerous weapons is not a defense to the charge that you have dangerous weapons and therefore should be deposed?
Can’t we all see the talking points that went out on this?
December 9th, 2007 at 12:24 pm“Support in any way possible the inference that Iran’s suspension of its weapons program was in response to the invasion, but don’t cite any actual *facts*; we don’t want this turning into a question about facts, after all.”
Shorter Kristol:
“War is a beautiful and glorious thing, as long as the death and suffering has no impact on me personally.”
December 9th, 2007 at 12:27 pmFrank, the point is that it hasn’t really been about keeping Iran from *getting* nuclear weapons, and the administration has known it has not been about that, since they first knew of this intelligence suggesting that it was abandoned in 2003. And it’s about how, despite that knowledge, and despite several significant opportunities to achieve the goal of ensuring — peacefully — that Iran does not get nuclear weapons, the administration has been ratcheting up the fearmongering, hoping to support a military strike even though it knows it would be unnecessary, costly, bloody, and extremely incendiary.
that’s the point. imho.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:33 pm#14: what does that have to do with anything? Are you saying that you also think war is good as long as someone else is doing the sacrificing? That’s a pretty craven world view don’t you think?
December 9th, 2007 at 12:37 pmNPR’s Juan Williams responded by calling Kristol the “iron glove,†asking, “So you want us to start invading everybody everywhere? That’ll stop all nuclear proliferation?†Kristol replied that if it works, it’s “a pretty good thing.â€
Then I guess Pakistan is next and after that Israel!
December 9th, 2007 at 12:37 pmAmerica needs to freeze out countries that breed terrorists. Every last one of them.
Comment by Guido OBGYN Lover
Then I guess we need to freeze out ourselves because we somehow bred the biggest terrorist this earth has ever known, George Bush.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:38 pmNice job of trivializing 2 serious matters with one glib pronouncement, Billy - demonstrating with alacrity the reason no one listens to you any more.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:41 pmAmerica needs to freeze out countries that breed terrorists. Every last one of them.
Comment by Guido OBGYN Lover —
…SO AMERICA NEEDS TO STOP ARMING ISRAEL FOR THAT VERY REAZON. AMERICA NEED TO BE STOPED BECAUSE OF THAT VERY REASON. USA=WAR CRIMES
December 9th, 2007 at 12:41 pmwait, so frank you’re comparing observing an accident to electing not to serve of one’s country?
re perceptions: that actually was kind of my point. what would you do if you were ahmadinijad (sp?) and you knew Iraq had no WMDs, that their only chance to prove it was thwarted by Bush, and that though Bush knew or should have known there were no WMDs, he’s about to send in a massive military strike to flatten your next-door neighbor. the reality of the situation — that Iraq had no WMDs — was obscured and hidden by an administration that was prepared to create the perception that Iraq was dangerous no matter what, and only *selected* the WMD issue as the marketing strategy to sell the war. so yeah, you’re right, in politics perception most often trumps reality. in war, however, where people are dying every day, reality should be presented to the people the president and his administration represent.
imho.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:42 pmy - contributing directly to the root causes of terrorism will probably do a great job of ending it, guido.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:42 pmNeocons beat the war drum cause it really turns them on.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:42 pmKristol joins Victor Davis Hanson in proclaiming the “double success of theory” of Iraq:
“what critic would wish now to grant that one result of the 2003 war - aside from the real chance that Iraq can stabilize and function under the only consensual government in the region - might have been the elimination, for some time, of two growing and potentially nuclear threats to American security, quite apart from Saddam Hussein?”
For more, see:
December 9th, 2007 at 12:42 pm“Right Claims Iran NIE a CIA Plot Against Bush.”
Why don’t neocons realize that all of their reasons for attacking Iraq and Iran fit Pakistan a heck of a lot more than they fit Iraq or Iran.
Worry about the 26,000 nuclear weapons in the world NOW instead of perhaps 1 ten years from now.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:44 pmHey Death Head Kristol, wanna borrow a heating pad? You must have pulled something with that stretch.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:44 pmPlease don’t engage the troll Francine. He does nothing but spout ridiculous garbage and then he leaves when you confront him or ask him a question. He’s all about seeing what kind of chaos he can foment. So, let’s just allow him to talk to himself and any other useless troll that comes by and report him then ignore him.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:45 pmWorry about the 26,000 nuclear weapons in the world NOW instead of perhaps 1 ten years from now.
Comment by Keith — December 9, 2007 @ 12:44 pm
Settle down, Keith. You’re making WAY too much sense. ;)
December 9th, 2007 at 12:47 pmLibya did not give up its nuclear weapons program in 2003 because of the Iraq war. - - This is one of W’s and the Right’s favorite canards, along with Reagan single-handedly defeating Communism. Tell a lie often enough and it becomes a truth to most people.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:50 pmHey Zooster. Sorry. I got carried away in the heat of the moment. I forgot Pakistan don’t really have any OIL.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:51 pmEver hear of the post hoc, ergo propter hoc logical reasoning fallacy Dr. Kristol?
December 9th, 2007 at 12:51 pmKristol is a clown - you’d think he’d have the decency to dress the occasion when he appears on the boob-tube. And as for those TV execs who even allow this baffoon on the air to spew his delusional world view, well, I can just imagine how they themselves think of the world as one big entertainment profit margin. Kristol and his ilk live in a land of the occult. -Kevo
December 9th, 2007 at 12:51 pmI forgot Pakistan don’t really have any OIL.
Comment by Keith — December 9, 2007 @ 12:51 pm
Heh. Yeah, priorities. ;)
December 9th, 2007 at 12:53 pmAmericans give weapons and cash to strongmen in Muslim countries. They want the same thing in Iran. I don’t understand this.
Noone can explain this.
Noone even tries.
It is a disgrace.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:54 pmIf Libya gave up their nuclear wmds program because of Iraq war…then why don’t the same thing apply to Pakistan and India..who are much closer to Iraq than Libya?
Is Israel going to give their nuclear weapons as a result of war in Iraq?
December 9th, 2007 at 12:56 pm#27 - ok, I don’t read TP comments enough to know the trolls. Probably should have recognized the barrage posting tactic.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:57 pmThat would be a bird of carrion’s feather I assume…
December 9th, 2007 at 1:05 pmOr maybe they have come to realization that economics trumps war.
In a poll of Iranians says, “It’s the economy stupid.”
Bush/Cheney/Kristol
Hague Trials ‘09
Buck Fush
December 9th, 2007 at 1:12 pmAt this point I must conclude that Frank M is on an unreachable plane that nowhere intersects with reality.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:20 pmFrank M is a twisted sick subhuman, embarassing that someone like that exists in this country and is not in a mental ward.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:21 pmThe NIE report also spoke of the practical aspect of Iran suspending their nuclear weapons development as based on a cost benefit analysis. What happened in 2003. Well the cost side didn’t change. What about the benefit. Saddam’s Iraq was an arch enemy and the benefit of deterrance just went down the drain with the military removal of Saddam and the real likelihood of a government friendly to Iran replacing it. Yes, the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 strongly influenced the decision by Iran to suspend their nuclear weapons development program but not for the reason Kristol claims.
Kristol needs to answer, if pressure was the reason, why it had no impact on North Korea. Things changed with North Korea only when the US joined negotations. Pressure has proven itself to be an ineffective tool for decades. Why would it suddenly become effective. Well, the answer is it hasn’t and no amount of huffing and puffing by Bill Kristol will change that.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:33 pmWhy are you people so willing to give Iran nuclear technology? Are you just blinded by your hatred of Bush and you react in a knee-jerk fashion: Bush says something, you demand the opposite. “We must stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons†- “No! Let them have nuclear weapons!â€.
Smart?
Comment by Frank M — December 9, 2007 @ 12:23 pm
Strawman alert!
Why do you want to bomb the sh*t out of everyone that MIGHT be a threat to us sometime in the future? How many troops are you suggesting we commit to a war with Iran, who will surely retaliate when we strike, and where do you want to get them?
Saw something the other day indicating they have about 300,000 battle-ready troops. We’ve averaged half that many in Iraq for 5 years — that’s a 5-to-1 ratio — and STILL cannot defeat 30,000 insurgents.
Also, remember, we invaded Iraq because they MIGHT attack us in the future. They were a “gathering” threat, a strange situation seeing as how in mid-2001 Powell and Rice said just the opposite.
This “the war on terror frightened Iran into giving up its nuclear program” is utter B.S.
Why? Because it would have been the first words out of Bush’s mouth when he took the podium in his press conference this past week. Instead of lying about what he knew — “I wasn’t told anything” in August — he’d be praising the news as clear evidence that his prosecution of the war on terror had produced the very actions he was looking for. He would have told us how eager he was for the NIE to be completed so that he could make the announcement (instead, we have evidence that others in the administration *cough* Cheney *cough* worked to hold up its release). He would have once again reminded us of Libya’s very public abandonment of WMDs (see below) AND Iraq’s decision as vindication for his decision to invade Iraq.
As well, he would have dispatched Cheney and Hadley and Perino to all the Sunday morning news shows to crow about it.
And since Kristol is bringing up Libya, I think it’s fitting to remind you that Bush was not the least bit shy about crediting the war on terror for that country’s abandonment of it’s nuke program in 2003; I highlighted the part I am referring to so you won’t overlook it:
Source.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:38 pmLet me see…
The Iranians stopped their nuclear weapons programs because we invaded Iraq.
Who had no nuclear weapons programs.
So dropping their nuclear weapons programs would not keep the US from invading, as witness Saddam Hussein’s fate.
There’s one other factor: the Iranians DIDN’T ANNOUNCE IT. They’re equating this with Libya, who made a big show of it.
The Iranians dropped their weapons program silently, keeping it secret from the USA. Would they do that if their purpose was to make the US react differently? No.
Idiots.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:39 pmAnd, Frank, I point out that the quote from Bush that I posted above, regarding Libya, references “U.S. pressure on North Korea.”
I do believe that indicates diplomatic pressure as I don’t recall Bush advocating invading that country.
So, in conclusion, Bush couldn’t even bring himself to declare that diplomatic pressure AND the war on terror caused Iran to stand down.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:47 pmIt’s amazing how someone like Bill Kristol still gets air time. His comments remind me of a 7 year old who still hasn’t figured out how to put 2 pieces of Lego together and thinks that’s just fine.
December 9th, 2007 at 2:07 pmIn every silver lining,
December 9th, 2007 at 2:20 pmKristol can see a dark mushroom shaped cloud.
Lessee, this is the 8,459th time he’s been wrong.
Geebus, goober, have you no shame>??
December 9th, 2007 at 2:44 pmI really wish the Republicans would stop recycling old jokes.
Mom to teacher: “If Johnny misbehaves, spank the child next to him. He’ll get the idea.”
December 9th, 2007 at 3:07 pmSince when did Bill Krisol do anything as in “we”. The only thing he has done is to dupe a little woodenhead goof by the name of Dubya Bush.
December 9th, 2007 at 3:18 pmI knew invading the wrong country made sense. Imagine you have a beef with your neighbor across the street, but it would be illegal to burn down his house. Why not set fire to the house next to his– owned by the guy he hates more than you? That will teach him a lesson!
December 9th, 2007 at 3:52 pmWhy are you people so willing to give Iran nuclear technology? Are you just blinded by your hatred of Bush and you react in a knee-jerk fashion: -Frank M.
Wanna see Frank eat his words?
Cheney and Rumsfeld persuaded a hesitant President Ford to offer Iran a deal that would have meant at least $6.4 billion for U.S. corporations like Westinghouse and General Electric, had not the Shah been unceremoniously dumped three years later.
The offer included a reprocessing facility for a complete nuclear fuels cycle – essentially the same capability that the U.S. and Israel now insist Iran cannot be allowed to acquire. -Ray McGovern
Bwah. Seems the Cheney and Rumsfeld hate Bush eh Frank? BTW what does crow taste like?
December 9th, 2007 at 4:12 pmOn the other hand Kim Jong Il created a nuke during this time…
Stick a feather in your hat and call it macaroni!!
December 9th, 2007 at 4:22 pmKristols comments were first heard on TP the day of the NIE. By numerous trolls.
December 9th, 2007 at 4:23 pmIs BillyKGoat one of our noxious trolls? Or are they all just reading from the same talking points…?
Is BillyKGoat one of our noxious trolls? RUC
They all think alike, hive minded finger pointers that take credit for things they have nothing to with until they go wrong then suddenly they forget and misremember and find someone to throw under the bus.
December 9th, 2007 at 4:28 pmFive years ago, my neocon friend told me that moderates were on the rise in Iran, and the Iraq War would lead to them overthrowing the government. Our invasions created chaos to the west, east, and south of Iran — adding to Chechnya to the north — and Iranians have predictably rallied around their hardliners. Fortunately for them, their hardliners at least know how to think strategically. Pity ours are such inveterate fools.
December 9th, 2007 at 4:55 pmAt this point I must conclude that Frank M is on an unreachable plane that nowhere intersects with reality.
Comment by VerbalKint — December 9, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
In other words, a Republican, soon to be as extinct as the triceratops.
December 9th, 2007 at 6:58 pmDumb Question: As addicted as these folks are to post hoc, have any of them credited other countries and their diplomatic efforts for Iran’s halting their nuclear progam.
Specifically, As I remember it, several countries tried to broker a deal with Iran where Iran could build a power generator with nuclear materials that these other countries would supply to them.
December 9th, 2007 at 7:20 pmKristol, a modern day medicine man who comes to see the ill patient. Goes ugga bugga, and leaves. Patient dies, it was too late. Patient lives, I scared away the evil spirits and he was saved!
Pathetic propagandist bootlicker.
December 9th, 2007 at 8:27 pmWhy does this Ann Coulter in drag even get face time on any t.v. program. Really, does anyone with any intellegence care what he has to say?
December 9th, 2007 at 9:21 pmKristol is an irritating, self-serving twit.
December 9th, 2007 at 10:37 pmcheck this out:
Bolton calls report on Iran quasi-putsch
The former ambassador to the U.N. says the the latest intelligence estimate is meant not to inform but to influence policy.
From Reuters December 9, 2007
BERLIN — U.S. intelligence services attempted to influence political policy by releasing their assessment that concludes Iran halted its nuclear arms program in 2003, said John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Der Spiegel magazine quoted Bolton on Saturday as alleging that the aim of the National Intelligence Estimate, which contradicts his and President Bush’s position, was not to provide the latest intelligence on Iran.
“This is politics disguised as intelligence,” Bolton was quoted as saying in an article appearing in this week’s edition.
Bolton described the report, released Monday, as a “quasi-putsch” by the intelligence agencies, Der Spiegel said.
[…]
http://www.latimes.com/ news/ nationworld/ world/ la-fg-bolton9dec09,1,233789.story?coll=la-headlines-world
…
putsch [pooch] –noun
a plotted revolt or attempt to overthrow a government, esp. one that depends upon suddenness and speed.
what. a. jerk.
December 9th, 2007 at 11:52 pm.
Frank M; who wants Iran to have nuclear weapons? Have you heard any Democrat say they would like Iran to have a nuclear weapon? You know what I want? I want our President to stop lying to us. You want to know what I hate? I hate idiots like yourself that think because we disagree with George Bush (A war criminal in my opinion) we’re terrorists. That was the same thing when people disagreed with Reagan, they were called communists!
December 10th, 2007 at 2:55 amThis fool thinks the deaths of millions of other people is great if it works . If the majority of casualties ,should happen to be innocents who borer no ill will towards the united states, no problem for Bill he supports isreal ?
December 10th, 2007 at 3:05 amGo team Go ! KILL THE OTHER GUY !…..Ra RA Ra……Bring em on ….Duh !
How come this fool is still on TV ? Who the hell is still buying his transparent and monstous BS ? After all the damage neo conservative rhetoric has caused the people of the world ,Iraq and the united states people still invite these fools on the Sunday talk shows ?
Well guess what ……… I don’t F%#king watch your programs any more and more and more people are joining me in leaving the major networks .
Bill your patriotism and tribalism scare the hell out of any thinking person ,…… but then they still let nazi’s parade in small town Amerika .
I have to hand it to ‘em: before Kristol came along, I never knew just how incredibly twistable reality was.
December 10th, 2007 at 11:03 am