Obama taps Hagel for Pentagon, Brennan for CIA
WASHINGTON (AP) - Despite Republican misgivings, President Barack Obama announced Monday he will nominate former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel as his next defense secretary, calling him "the leader our troops deserve." He also chose White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.
Controversy surrounds both choices, but the president called on the Senate to quickly confirm both.
"The work of protecting our nation is never done. We've got much to do," Obama said at the East Room announcement. "My most solemn obligation is the security of our people."
Obama announced his choice of Hagel, a political moderate who represented Nebraska in the Senate, even as critics questioned the pick over issues including Hagel's views on Israel and Iran.
Facing a potential fight to get Hagel confirmed by the Senate, Obama praised his independence and bipartisan approach, and said that Hagel, a Vietnam veteran, understands war is not an abstraction. He also praised Hagel, 66, as one who could make "tough fiscal choices" in a time of increasing austerity.
Brennan, 57, a 25-year CIA veteran, is a close Obama adviser who has served in his present post for four years.
The president praised him as one of America's most skilled and respected intelligence professionals. Obama said Brennan and Hagel understand that "the work of protecting our nation is never done."
Brennan withdrew from consideration for the spy agency's top job in 2008 amid questions about his connection to harsh interrogation techniques used during the George W. Bush administration.
Hagel, in brief remarks, thanked Obama "for this opportunity to serve this country again, especially its men and women in uniform. ... These are people who give so much to this nation every day."
Hagel voted for U.S. military involvement in the Iraq war at first but later opposed it. He broke ranks with other Republicans to support Obama for president in 2008.
If confirmed, he would replace Leon Panetta as defense secretary.
Obama said Panetta, standing with the others alongside the president, had "earned the right to return to civilian life."
Panetta was CIA director before Obama tapped him to be defense chief.
Along with secretary of state nominee Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Hagel and Brennan would play key roles implementing and shaping Obama's national security priorities in a second term. All three men must be confirmed by the Senate.
In nominating Hagel, Obama signaled he is willing to take on a tough confirmation fight. Once Hagel emerged as Obama's likely nominee, GOP lawmakers began sharply questioning his commitment to Israel and his willingness to take a hard line with Iran over its disputed nuclear program.
Of Brennan, Obama said he had an "invaluable perspective" on global affairs. He has traveled extensively in the Middle East and was once CIA station chief in Saudi Arabia. Brennan helped orchestrate administration policy in Yemen and the response to the Arab Spring, and played a role in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
"I will make it my mission to make sure that the CIA has the tools it needs to keep our nation safe and that its work always reflects the liberties, freedoms and values that we hold so dear," Brennan said in brief remarks.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., issued a statement shortly after the White House announcement on Brennan, saying he had "many questions and concerns about his nomination to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency, especially what role he played in the so-called enhanced interrogation programs while serving at the CIA during the last administration, as well as his public defense of those programs."
Hagel, something of a maverick among Republican senators during his two terms, has criticized the discussion of a military strike by either the U.S. or Israel against Iran. He also irritated some Israel backers with his reference to the "Jewish lobby" in the United States. And he has backed efforts to bring Iran to the table for future peace talks in Afghanistan.
Obama said that when he and Hagel served in the Senate "I came to admire his courage and his judgment, his willingness to speak his mind even if it wasn't popular, even if it defied the conventional wisdom. That's exactly the spirit I want on my national security team - a recognition that when it comes to the defense of our country, we are not Democrats or Republicans. We are Americans."
Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., has called Hagel's foreign policy views "outside the mainstream" and has said he would be "the most antagonistic secretary of defense toward the state of Israel in our nation's history."
Although bracing for a confirmation fight over Hagel, the administration has expressed confidence both its nominees will be confirmed.
Supporters of Hagel's nomination have said it would be hard for Republicans to reject a former colleague, especially one who's a Vietnam veteran and served on the Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees.
Controversy surrounds both choices, but the president called on the Senate to quickly confirm both.
"The work of protecting our nation is never done. We've got much to do," Obama said at the East Room announcement. "My most solemn obligation is the security of our people."
Obama announced his choice of Hagel, a political moderate who represented Nebraska in the Senate, even as critics questioned the pick over issues including Hagel's views on Israel and Iran.
Facing a potential fight to get Hagel confirmed by the Senate, Obama praised his independence and bipartisan approach, and said that Hagel, a Vietnam veteran, understands war is not an abstraction. He also praised Hagel, 66, as one who could make "tough fiscal choices" in a time of increasing austerity.
Brennan, 57, a 25-year CIA veteran, is a close Obama adviser who has served in his present post for four years.
The president praised him as one of America's most skilled and respected intelligence professionals. Obama said Brennan and Hagel understand that "the work of protecting our nation is never done."
Brennan withdrew from consideration for the spy agency's top job in 2008 amid questions about his connection to harsh interrogation techniques used during the George W. Bush administration.
Hagel, in brief remarks, thanked Obama "for this opportunity to serve this country again, especially its men and women in uniform. ... These are people who give so much to this nation every day."
Hagel voted for U.S. military involvement in the Iraq war at first but later opposed it. He broke ranks with other Republicans to support Obama for president in 2008.
If confirmed, he would replace Leon Panetta as defense secretary.
Obama said Panetta, standing with the others alongside the president, had "earned the right to return to civilian life."
Panetta was CIA director before Obama tapped him to be defense chief.
Along with secretary of state nominee Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Hagel and Brennan would play key roles implementing and shaping Obama's national security priorities in a second term. All three men must be confirmed by the Senate.
In nominating Hagel, Obama signaled he is willing to take on a tough confirmation fight. Once Hagel emerged as Obama's likely nominee, GOP lawmakers began sharply questioning his commitment to Israel and his willingness to take a hard line with Iran over its disputed nuclear program.
Of Brennan, Obama said he had an "invaluable perspective" on global affairs. He has traveled extensively in the Middle East and was once CIA station chief in Saudi Arabia. Brennan helped orchestrate administration policy in Yemen and the response to the Arab Spring, and played a role in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
"I will make it my mission to make sure that the CIA has the tools it needs to keep our nation safe and that its work always reflects the liberties, freedoms and values that we hold so dear," Brennan said in brief remarks.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., issued a statement shortly after the White House announcement on Brennan, saying he had "many questions and concerns about his nomination to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency, especially what role he played in the so-called enhanced interrogation programs while serving at the CIA during the last administration, as well as his public defense of those programs."
Hagel, something of a maverick among Republican senators during his two terms, has criticized the discussion of a military strike by either the U.S. or Israel against Iran. He also irritated some Israel backers with his reference to the "Jewish lobby" in the United States. And he has backed efforts to bring Iran to the table for future peace talks in Afghanistan.
Obama said that when he and Hagel served in the Senate "I came to admire his courage and his judgment, his willingness to speak his mind even if it wasn't popular, even if it defied the conventional wisdom. That's exactly the spirit I want on my national security team - a recognition that when it comes to the defense of our country, we are not Democrats or Republicans. We are Americans."
Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., has called Hagel's foreign policy views "outside the mainstream" and has said he would be "the most antagonistic secretary of defense toward the state of Israel in our nation's history."
Although bracing for a confirmation fight over Hagel, the administration has expressed confidence both its nominees will be confirmed.
Supporters of Hagel's nomination have said it would be hard for Republicans to reject a former colleague, especially one who's a Vietnam veteran and served on the Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees.
From the tone here seems a lot of posters think obama is asking them.... oh and those posters always wear white !
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGQ-ISsDm8M
Makes sense I guess. The CIA is being used more and more to conduct covert missions that are otherwise illegal, and Brennan is perfect since he is a former Bush man that loves illegal activity, has no problem with water boarding people, no problem with bombing weddings, churches, woman & children..
Ever notice how all of Obama's appointees seem to have Muslim sympathies?
@Freedom1267 Really ? All of these guys ??
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_judges_appointed_by_Barack_Obama
The top reasons for opposing the nominations:
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1. Obama nominated them.
2. Obama nominated them.
3. Obama nominated them.
...
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All Americans should be seriously alarmed at these 2 nominations....Chuck Hagel is another Bilderberg in the White House...Pro Socialist that want New World Order....one Monarchy Elitist government and one currency and Sharia Law for EVERYBODY on the planet and trying there best to enact it here in the U.S. The left is shaking their heads WHAT? a Republic in The Administration.....He is a Bilderberg member and that is the only reason he is being elected. Now for John Brennan, Assassination Czar to lead the CIA sounds more than scary to me...recently spoke about the drone program calling it moral and ethical and is the lead person to target drone attacks and raids......sound a little more like World War III to me. NO MORE BILDERBERGS AND NO MORE CZARS IN OUR WHITE HOUSE!!!! Why not pick someone decent and moral that loves America and our Constitution?
Let the Liberal have whomever he wants. He's screwed up the economy so bad that there's nothing that can be done till his regime is out of power. Just sit back and watch it crumble.
 @last boyscout You mean the currently recovering economy? You say liberal likes a bad thing.
 @browntown  @last boyscout As a business owner, i can assure you the economy is not recovering! it's getting worse!Â
@browntown @last boyscout   Recovering? Browntown, what brown have you been eating? What is fed to us out of the books so over cooked by the Government even they can't get clear data? Get into the trenches and you will know this is not true except in small industry circles.
@erudite How could you possibly single handedly investigate something as large as the US economy? What you do is more likely search the web to confirm your opinions.
@bikegeek  Who's facts?  The ones reported by what trusted authority? LOL
The Feds aren't going to feed you the truth. I don't drink Kool Aid, nor do I wear Rose Colored Glasses. I do wear earplugs against the piping for the lemmings, and I do my investigation outside of media manipulation.
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@erudite What koolaid have you been drinking the economy is showing signs of improvement. Just because the facts don't support you beliefs doesn't mean you get to change them.
 @erudite She will support Der Leader until the end, because she thinks he is so cool...
Watching Republicans eat their own is always a lot of fun.
 @browntown And Donkeys fail like a row of dominoes is equally cool as well...
I don't expect Hagel to change US policy towards Israel, but I wish he would. Â Direct aide to Israel is 3.5 billion dollars a year. Â I have no idea how to count the total cost of our Israel policy. Â Considering that a major contributing factor to our conflict with Islam is our support of Israel, it's hard to figure actual costs. Â And, in spite of our tremendous contributions, Israel continues to expand settlements into the occupied territories exacerbating a bad situation.
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It isn't some Jewish lobby that drives this support, it's nutbomb Christians who believe that the Jews must control the Holy Land for Jesus to come back. Â Well, if it's God's prophecy, I don't think US tax dollars to an awkward ally are necessary for God to bring his plans to fruition.
 @blotto It sickens me that any US politican for any reason would need to "show their support for Isreal" to serve this country's highest posts. Cantor and the rest of the AIPAC lobby can get out.
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The United States of America is not subservient to any nation, including Isreal.
@browntown @blotto Really? I'd say we are quickly becoming subservient to the chinese thanks to Obama.
@Kachina More like thanks to Nixon, Clinton and Sam Walmart
 @blotto First, your numbers are wrong, plus, the military contracts aid isjust a way for US to subsidize US industry, so the money go right back to US economy. Almost everything else you said is also wrong.
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1. There is no 'occupied territories' - Samaria and Judea were never part of any country that was occupied. If under pressure from misinformed and evil people Israel to decide to give up this land too, who were to take it? And please do not tell me fibs about Palestinians 'own' the land - there was never a country 'Palestine', they do not have their language, culture, economy governance, etc.
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2. The major (and practically the only one) contributing factor to our conflict with Islam is Islam. No nation in the world has a right to tell us who our friends should be. Culturally, politically, economically and, most importantly, morally US is aligned with Israel and if someone disagrees with it, it does not give them a right to kill our ambassador, take hostages, rape, behead, riot, etc.
@Julie @blotto  The post you are referencing does not refer to any occupied territory at all. Â
 I say leave the Isaraeli's to there own devices. And even if there was not a politically recognized state of Palestine 1947 there was a Palestinian people. As far as aid to Israel it now totals 84 billion. They receive 12% of all foreign aid.  I have no dog in this fight being of Scandinavian descent and an American by birth and choice. I just don't think we need to give them any money. Let them settle it on there own.  Â
This is no surprise. The Muslim Brotherhood speaking heads and Hamas supporters have been bragging about their White House secret infiltrators invited by Obama's administration to influence support of the"The Cause".  Six top appointed directors have been named in a translated Egyptian magazine emphasizing the world ranking and strength of their Muslim world dominant goal, indicating complete control of and support of the USA government.
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Nothing in this administration is as it seems. Like lemmings do they march in joyful glee?
 @erudite You forgot to mention George Soros! C'mon, if you're going to wallow in conspiracy theories, at least go whole hog.
@Max Quinn
MAX I do not subscribe to âConspiracy Theoryâ hype. @JTesla You are right, so is Julie. There is a huge foreign influence at play in multiple levels by multiple players in our government. Soros is not the only "bad" guy. There are many, but, his agenda is far different than the Muslim Brotherhood. Both are scary.
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Soros, the Chairman of Soros Fund Management and is founder of The Open Society Institute. Soros claims his political activities are separate from, but supported by the Open Society Institute which he founded and funds.. His money and his assigned trainers (volunteers/lobbiests) have had a huge influence with contributions to over 540 "causes" influencing the USA with billions of dollars with just OSI.
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Soros envisions a world without borders and run by a China-like state-controlled government. He has financial ties to over 30 news organizations, such as The New York Times, Washington Post, the Associated Press, NBC and ABC and deafening influence in policy, what is reported on and sanitized material to be reported.
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People scoff, but here are just a FEW organizations that have received direct funding and assistance from Hungarian born, Soros and his Open Society Institute (OSI) or other legs of funding, all using money in leveraging favors of influence. This does not recognize his direct political PAC funding, undercurrent agenda happenings or corporate equities, just his OSI.
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Here is one link to just these Organizations, with summary findings of what they do and what Soros OSI interest is in them. Read their briefs.
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http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=1237
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How many beliefs are your progressive liberal pipingâs to the lemmings for Max? Â
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Alliance for Justice:
America Coming Together
America Votes:
American Civil Liberties Union:
American Constitution Society for Law and Policy:
American Family Voices:
American Friends Service Committee:
American Immigration Law Foundation:
American Library Association:
The American Prospect, Inc.:
Amnesty International:
Arab American Institute Foundation:
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now:
Bill of Rights Defense Committee:
Brennan Center for Justice:
Brookings Institution:
Campaign for America's Future:
Campus Progress:
Catholics for a Free Choice:
Center for American Progress:
Clinton administration staffers.
Center for Community Change:
Center for Constitutional Rights:
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington:
Coalition for an International Criminal Court:
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund:
Democracy Alliance:
Democracy 21:
Democratic Party:
Earthjustice:
EMILY's List:
Feminist Majority:
Free Press:
Party, Mother Jones magazine, and Pacifica Radio.
Funding Exchange:
Gamaliel Foundation:
Human Rights First:
Human Rights Watch:
Immigrant Legal Resource Center:
Media Institute:
Institute for New Economic Thinking:
Institute for Policy Studies:
Institute for Women's Policy Research:
International Crisis Group:
Joint Victory Campaign 2004
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:
League of United Latin American Citizens:
League of Women Voters Education Fund:
Lynne Stewart Defense Committee:
MADRE:
Malcolm X Grassroots Movement:
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition:
Media Fund:
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund:
Meyer, Suozzi, English and Klein, PC
Midwest Academy:
Migration Policy Institute:
Military Families Speak Out:
MoveOn.org:
Ms. Foundation for Women:
NARAL Pro-Choice America:
NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
The Nation Institute:
National Abortion Federation:
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy:
National Council for Research on Women:
National Council of La Raza
National Council of Women's Organizations:
National Immigration Forum:
National Immigration Law Center:
National Lawyers Guild:
National Organization for Women:
National Priorities Project:
National Security Archive Fund:
National Women's Law Center:
Natural Resources Defense Council:
Pacifica Foundation:
Peace and Security Funders Group:
People for the American Way:
Physicians for Human Rights:
Physicians for Social Responsibility:
Planned Parenthood:
Ploughshares Fund:
Prison Moratorium Project:
Project Syndicate:
Project Vote:
Proteus Fund:
Public Citizen Foundation:
Sentencing Project:
Sojourners:
Thunder Road Group:
Tides Foundation and Tides Center:
Urban Institute:
USAction Education Fund:
 @erudite My bad. Clearly you do not subscribe to conspiracy theory hype...
@sargerator    Such an entertainer.
Hey, gen. jack ripper, where have you been ? how are you doing ?? you forgot to list "precious bodily fluids" !
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1KvgtEnABY
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Max, not a surprising comment coming from a piper to lemmings.Â
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@Max Quinn@erudite
Not quite sure that Muslims got complete control of US government, but a super-rich leftist extremist who throws truckloads of money to promote his political and philosophical views â Gorge Soros â he really exists.
@Julie The right and the middle have those people too. Truckloads of money going this way and that. Why is Soros the only one who is a bad guy?
Man, if Hagel becomes Defense Secretary it will mark a major shift in US foreign policy. Instead of enthusiastically supporting Israel in pretty much everything, we'll just support Israel in pretty much everything.
@Max Quinn
US voted against creation of the state of Israel in 1947, they did nothing for Israel in all the following wars when Arabs attacked Israel in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1972, etc. While US was quick to protect Kuwait from Iraq, US did nothing to protect Israel from thousands of rockets falling on Israeli cities, US prevented Israel from going after Hamas during operation Cast Led and prevented Israel from finishing up Hizballah during the second Lebanon war. US sponsored Oslo accord that empowered Fatakh and started the next Jihad on Israel. US negotiated return of Sinai to Egypt in return for Egyptâs promise of peace (that worked great), US condemned Israeli construction of civilian homes on Israeli land just because some terrorist entity claims that someday they will own this land (same terrorist entity that claims that they will own all the Palestine, including Israel). List of how US âhelpedâ Israel can go on and on. One thing â US always blocks anti-Israel UN resolutions and I do believe that it is good, but UN resolutions have been a joke for so long now and have no real power to them anyway, so not that big of a deal. US also helps Israel with military contracts with US manufacturers, but this help is nothing compared to the help that Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and many other countries get from us.
"US also helps Israel with military contracts with US manufacturers, but this help is nothing compared to the help that Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and many other countries get from us."
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You do know you have ALL your facts wrong...for example ! Get a clue before babbling the crap you do !
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http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/politics/us-foreign-aid.htm
 @Julie Yea, except when the US was the first country to recognize Israel (1948). And then all that military aid. And the loan guarantees for construction. And standing against Palestinian statehood in the UN last year. Boy, this Hagel thing is just another nail in the coffin.
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And since Israel gave the Sinai back to Egypt, how many times have they been to war?Â
@Julie @Max Quinn "US does few things to help Israel"
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So 3.2 trillion is considered "few things" to you ?? Talk about UNinformed and NOT intellectually honest....you really think you could say those things and NOT be challenged ??
Â
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/politics/us-foreign-aid.htm
 @Max Quinn As I mentioned before, US does few things to help Israel, but informed and intellectually honest person would hardly call it 'pretty much everything'. That was not the first time when Palestinians wanted to be recognized in UN and before US threatened to withhold it's aid to any entity that would recognize PA and PA's bid fell flat. This time, BHO chose not to exercise this muscle and PA was recognized against the will of Israel and plain common sense - as I said before - hardly 'pretty much anything'.
Just what we need for defense secretary - a guy who thinks that we need to negotiate with Hamas and let Iran to have nukes.
@Julie He and Obama are of the same mindset, that's why he was picked.
 @JulieÂ
1. Can you show anywhere he said "let Iran have nukes"?
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2. Can you show any proof that Iran is trying to make a nucler weapon?
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You really need to quit watching MSM!
@B Smizzle@Julie "
"Can you show any proof that Iran is trying to make a nucler weapon?" is like demanding proof of human rights abuses in North Korea or Myanmar, isn't it? Why don't we just get a search warrant and go look? Oh...'cause they won't let you. In fact they imprison hippies for taking a walk in Iran while declaring the Holocaust a hoax and promising to destroy Israel.But, maybe it's like Sean Penn said: When they're out chanting "Death to America" they don't literally mean DEATH to AMERICANS, just AMERICA, and, so, we should give them the benefit of the doubt, right?
 @Playanekes  @JulieÂ
I am still waiting for your answer to my two simple questions
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1. Can you show anywhere he said "let Iran have nukes"?
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2. Can you show any proof that Iran is trying to make a nuclear weapon?
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Also FYI, Iran is currently under IAEA monitoring with over 5000 man hours last year.  More than any other member of the NPT!
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You can keep changing the subject but I am still waiting for answers.Â
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 @B Smizzle Well,
1. You can check his voting record, but voting against sanctions on Iran sends the message pretty clear.
2. A country that has one of the reachest energy supplies in the world is willing to go through a all the pain to have more energy and not allowing IAEA inspectors - why? They are also threatening Israel, US, support Hamas and Hizballah and overall are not the guys I would want to own a nuke.
 @Julie Oh yeah and another question now that we know Iran HAS allowed inspectors and is currently under IAEA monitoring ...
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" is willing to go through a all the pain to have more energy and not allowing IAEA inspectors - why?"
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Did you ask yourself this same question about Israel's nuclear and known nuclear weapons program?
 @S_O_P_A  @Julie Don't confuse Julie talking about drones....she is still hiding under the bed when in 2003 when Bush told us Iran was 2 years away from a nuke!  The Iranian calendar must have a lot more months in it than ours!  Of course, Iran has been 2-3 years away from a nuke since the 1979 revolution!
Â
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/1108/Imminent-Iran-nuclear-threat-A-timeline-of-warnings-since-1979/Earliest-warnings-1979-84
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But yes, I am sure she is unaware, like a lot of Americans that 168 children were killed in Pakistan last year by drone strikes and that only 1 out of 50 victims of said strikes are terrorists!
 @JulieÂ
1. Voting against sanction is a lot different than saying "let hem have nukes." So as I originally asked, can you show anywhere he said, as you state, "let them have nukes"? Â
Â
2a. All Iran's nuclear facilities are under IAEA safeguards and monitoring. The IAEA has said many, many, many times....no nukes, no proof of nukes, all nuclear material is accounted for!  The IAEA has inspected Iran many times, no proof of nukes.  Can you show otherwise....as we can see you word isn't very reliable!
http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/mediaadvisory/2009/ma200919.html
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2b. Â Lets let the biggest war monger of all, Dick Cheney shoot down your other argument.....also google atoms for peace. Â Who started Iran's nuclear program????
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3983-2005Mar26.html
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"Vice President Cheney recently said, "They're already sitting on an awful lot of oil and gas. Nobody can figure why they need nuclear as well to generate energy."
Yet Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and outgoing Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz held key national security posts when the Ford administration made the opposite argument 30 years ago.
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Ford's team endorsed Iranian plans to build a massive nuclear energy industry, but also worked hard to complete a multibillion-dollar deal that would have given Tehran control of large quantities of plutonium and enriched uranium -- the two pathways to a nuclear bomb. Either can be shaped into the core of a nuclear warhead, and obtaining one or the other is generally considered the most significant obstacle to would-be weapons builders.
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2c. Can you show where they have threatened the US or Israel?Â
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Again, I am waiting for any proof, not scare tactics and hypothetical scenarios that have no basis in reality!
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Still waiting!
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 @Julie  But Dear Leader has won an Academy Award for Peace. Why does He even need a Defense Secretary? Doesn't the rest of the world know how awesome and cool and peace loving He is? (I mean outside of the ones who have been killed or maimed by His drones. They were probably gun owning Christian republicans who drove SUVs anyway.)
On Comcast, the Fox News Channel conducted a monthly EBS test broadcast in the middle of the announcement.
 @Playanekes Must be part of their "fair and balanced" style of reporting.
 @Sundowner At least they've covering actual news, such as the shooting in Georgia, now.  Tonight you can watch Piers Morgan and Alex Jones the ChemTrail Theory Peddler duke it on on CNN, which is neither fair nor balanced in any factual or pyschological sense of the words.
 @Playanekes  @Sundowner "At least they've covering actual news"
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Yeah, proved by playing the monthly EBS during the middle of the announcement!