29 Mar 2024
Monday 11 February 2013 - 16:48
Story Code : 19965

Hagel in 2008: U.S. shouldn't even think of bombing Iran

A newly surfacedvideowhich was posted toYouTubeon Sunday shows Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obamas highly controversial defense secretary nomination, as having expressed more concern over Israel's nuclear weapons than Iran's and advocating that the U.S. engage with Iran and Syria.
Thevideowas recorded during a 2008 event in which Hagel promoted his then-recently published book.The Weekly Standardreported on thevideoon Sunday.

In thevideoan audience member is shown asking Hagel, [I]f Israel is attacked by Iran or an Iranian proxy like Hizbullah in a way that existentially threatens Israel, almost to the extent that Israel was attacked in 73 and its existentially threatened, would you support an American airstrike using U.S. forces, B2s, whatever on Iran?

Hagel responds, Thats a hypothetical question that somehow frames up the simplicity of the hypothetical question... But your question, I mean the complication of whats going on there, Hamas is already attacking Israel. Iran supports Hamas. Iran supports Hizbullah. What I would much rather see is thisadministration, or hopefully the nextadministration, engage Iran, engage Syria. When I hear the talk about well you cant talk with Iran, you cant talk with Syria and were, we should stay where we are and support Israel, and so on, well you miss the point.

He then says, We are not going to have peace, stability, security or even any hints of it in the Middle East until Iran and Syria and all the players are part of it.

"Now that doesnt apologize for or doesnt close our eyes to what Iran has been doing, what Iran does do, but unless they are engaged in some way , then I dont see this getting any better, and then where this could go, where this could eventually go, says Hagel.

Someone was asking me the other day about a nuclear exchange in the world, where that would come from. I said well Ill give you a scenario thats very real. If Israel gets backed up enough into a corner and Israel uses a tactical theater nuclear weapon, you want to talk about seeing some things unravel in the world. The United States shouldnt even be thinking about options of bombing Iran or anybody else. I mean we got our hands full right now. And were in such a hell of a mess, he concludes.

The Senate Armed Services Committee last Thursday decided topostponethe expected panel vote on Hagels nominationafter he refused to release additional requested financial information, including details regarding compensation for speeches he delivered since leaving Capitol Hill.

While Hagel has provided some information on hispersonal finances, he said he could not provide all of what has been requested because it was the property of private organizations that he was not authorized to disclose.

Astonishingly, however, senate sources toldBreitbart Newsexclusively on Thursday that they have been informed that one of the reasons Hagel has refused to release the documents on his sources of foreignfundingisthat one of the names listedis a group purportedly called Friends of Hamas.

Last Wednesday 26 Republican senators sent a letter to the controversial nominee, asserting their opposition to the vote until he provided the requested information.

By Arutz Sheva

 

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