Today on CNN’s Late Edition, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) sounded a note of caution on belligerant action toward Iran. Both said that Iran is trying to extend its influence in Iraq, warned against military action, and advocated diplomatic engagement. Hoekstra said:
I believe that reaching out and engaging with Iran, but doing so with Russia, doing so with our European allies, recognizing that they do have contacts into Iran, and engaging in a full-court diplomatic press with Iran is a good thing to begin the process of doing that.
You know, we’re not going to go into Iran militarily. The senator is absolutely right. Iran is not Iraq. And going in there militarily would be, from my perspective, a huge mistake.
Watch it:
A “stark new assessment” by Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen reports that “the government of Iran continues to supply weapons and other support to extremists in Iraq, despite repeated promises to the contrary, and is increasingly complicit in the death of American soldiers.” Yet Mullen too responded last week by stating, “I have no expectations that we are going to get into a conflict with Iran in the immediate future.”
In recent days, Hoekstra has sharply criticized the Bush administration’s handling of foreign policy. Commenting on the recent news that North Korea had helped Syria build a nuclear reactor — which was destroyed by Israel — Hoekstra blasted the White House for keeping the information from Congress for almost a year.
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