Secretary of state says stopping Tehran nukes is a world imperative
 Susan Walsh / AP Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tells the House Foreign Affairs Committee, "After years during which the United States basically sat on the sidelines, we are now a full partner" in international talks on Iran. |
"We actually believe that by following the diplomatic path we are on, we gain credibility and influence with a number of nations who would have to participate in order to make the sanctions regime as tight and as crippling as we would want it to be," Clinton told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Iran denies that its nuclear program is intended to develop weapons.
The official Iranian news agency IRNA reported Wednesday that Iran welcomes a "constructive" dialogue with world powers over its nuclear program, but insisted that it will not halt its uranium enrichment activities.
The Iranian report was in response to an invitation from the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia for a new round of nuclear talks. No date has been set.
Clinton said the administration is confident that with the help of international partners, it can put together a comprehensive sanctions regime against Iran, "should we need it." She said it would be needed "in the event we are unsuccessful or stonewalled in our other approach."
The House hearing was Clinton's first congressional testimony since her confirmation hearing in January, and the questions were mostly friendly. Panel members initially focused mainly on Iran, an Islamic extremist threat in Pakistan and U.S. policy toward Cuba. Some Republicans pressed her on the administration's release of formerly classified documents on detainee interrogation methods used during the Bush administration, but she deflected those inquiries, saying it was not a matter for her to discuss publicly.
Clinton said Iran and its nuclear program are one of the administration's highest foreign policy priorities.
"We are deploying new approaches to the threat posed by Iran, and we're doing so with our eyes wide open and with no illusions," she said.
"We know the imperative of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons," she added. "After years during which the United States basically sat on the sidelines, we are now a full partner" in international talks on Iran.
The committee chairman, Democratic Rep. Howard Berman, asked Clinton how much time it would take to get results on Iran. She did not reply directly but said the administration believes it has set the stage for progress by interacting more directly with allies and by reaching out to Iranian authorities.
"It is going to be a more successful engagement if our partners around the world understand they must work with us," including on consultations aimed at imposing tougher sanctions against Iran, Clinton said.
"The fact that we are engaging ... actually gives us more leverage with other nations," she said.
In her opening remarks to the panel, Clinton said the core goal of President Barack Obama's anti-terror strategy is to defeat al-Qaida and prevent its return to Afghanistan.
Berman said the panel is worried about Islamic extremists gaining momentum in Pakistan. The California Democrat said the United States cannot allow extremists to take over Pakistan or to operate with impunity on Afghanistan's border.
Clinton asserted in response that the international community is working closely together to deal with the problem of extremism in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment