[Peace-discuss] Political choice in America

[C. G. Estabrook]

[At this point one might suppose that Hillary Clinton and John McCain 
will be the candidates for president in two years -- respectively a 
"liberal Democrat" and a "maverick Republican."  So it's interesting to 
see the variety of views they represent on the present Israeli killings 
and US policy in the Middle East.  --CGE]


CLINTON:

On Monday thousands of supporters of Israel gathered in New York. 
Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton addressed the crowd, vowing support 
for Israel:

     "We will support her efforts to send a message to Hamas, Hezbollah, 
to the Syrians, to the Iraniains, to all who seek death and domination 
instead of life and freedom that we will not permit this to happen and 
we will take whatever steps are necessary."

Prior to the rally, Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch threw a fundraising 
breakfast for Hillary Clinton in New York.


MCCAIN:

John McCain, the US senator, yesterday challenged European leaders who 
have criticised Israel's military operations in Lebanon as excessive, 
saying that "no nation in the world would react any differently than 
Israel has".

"I continue to be amazed by some of our European friends who have called 
on the Israelis" to rein in their military campaign in Lebanon, Mr 
McCain said. "Do I want the Israelis to exercise restraint? Yes, but 
only while doing what they need to do to ensure their security."

Mr McCain, who sits on the Senate armed services committee and is 
expected to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2008, made 
the remarks in a wide-ranging talk before members of the Manhattan 
Institute, a conservative think-tank in New York.

Mr McCain's comments come after President George W. Bush sought at the 
G8 summit to play down differences with other countries over the 
confict, particularly France and Russia. While Mr Bush has repeatedly 
emphasised that blame for the Israeli incursions into Lebanon rests with 
Hizbollah and defended Israel's right to defend itself, in Paris and 
Moscow there has been criticism of Israel for its "disproportionate 
response".

Mr McCain warned that the crisis could "widen rather dramatically" and 
expressed concern about Iran's role as possible supplier of rockets to 
Hizbollah, as well as Iran's ultimate goals in the region.

"The Iranians are emerging in an interesting fashion," he said.

"We should have perhaps anticipated this a bit more after the speech . . 
. where [Iranian president] Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad vowed to wipe Israel 
off the map."

He argued that if "liberty were extinguished in the state of Israel", 
then the US would be the next target of Hizbollah and Hamas. "We cannot 
allow Iran to destroy Israel."

He said Russia should use its influence over Iran to defuse the crisis. 
And he said the US should be working to foster opposition inside Iran.

If there was a bright spot in the current violence, Mr McCain suggested, 
it was that some other Arab countries were "disturbed" by the 
"aggressiveness of Iran". Mr McCain said US military action against Iran 
would be "extremely complicated", but he would not rule it out.

The senator has sometimes clashed with Mr Bush over the torture of 
prisioners and other issues; yesterday he said Americans should "unite 
behind our president"...


Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2006