There’s been a lot of talk about “red lines” lately. Speaking to CNN about Iran’s nuclear program on September 16, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defined the term as “a stage in the enrichment or other nuclear activities that [the Iranians] cannot cross because they’ll face consequences.” Earlier this month, Netanyahu asserted that “those in the international community who refuse to draw a red line on Iran have no moral right to draw a red line for Israel.”
Rand Paul (Still) Pushing for Pakistani Aid Cutoff, and It’s (Still) a Bad Idea
For several months now, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has been pushing for the United States to cut off foreign aid to Pakistan, which amounted to just over $2 billion in 2012. This week, as conservative Republicans propose a rethinking of aid to Egypt and Libya in the wake of anti-American attacks there, Paul is hoping to finally get a vote on his Pakistan proposal.
Top Republicans Call for an Accelerated Afghanistan Withdrawal
UPDATE (Friday, 9/21): Senator McCain later backed away from these initial remarks, releasing a statement on September 20 in which he explained: “I have said that no option should be taken off the table in such a discussion, including a more rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops. However, I continue to believe that would be the worst possible course of action.” Read the full statement here.
Bolton Advocates an Israeli Strike on Iran
John Bolton, one of Mitt Romney’s top foreign policy advisors, wrote another op-ed about Iran this week. In the past, Bolton has advocated U.S. military action to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, but has done so while shying away from the potential consequences. This time, however, he makes no policy recommendations for the United States. Instead, he implicitly advocates an Israeli strike on Iran while making a number of concerning statements along the way.
Heeding the experts on Iran
Center for Arms Control National Advisory Board Member, General Joseph Hoar (USMC, ret), wrote an opinion piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer entitled, “Heeding the experts on Iran,” which was published March 20, 2012. Choose one … It’s become a cliche of presidential debates: Facing any question about Afghanistan or other national security issues, the candidates […]
