Tuesday, January 23, 2007 - 4:51pm
Mitt Romney can communicate, perhaps better than any of the other GOP presidential hopefuls. And it looks like he understands what we're up against.
Key section:
Second, we must impose diplomatic isolation of Iran's Government. Ahmadinejad should not be provided the trappings, respect, and recognition of a responsible head of state as he travels. In fact, when former Iranian President Khatami traveled to Boston last year to lecture at Harvard University, I denied him state police security for his visit. The real question is: why was he invited in the first place? Ahmadinejad is even more strident than Khatami. He should neither be invited to foreign capitals nor feted by foreign leaders. This would have important symbolic significance, not just to Ahmadinejad, but to the people of Iran. Diplomatic isolation should also include an indictment of Ahmadinejad for incitement to genocide under the Genocide Convention. The United States should lead this effort.
Romney has taken a tough stand against a nuclear Iran, a tougher one than anyone in the current administration. Preventing Iran from going nuclear will probably be the most important foreign policy issue of the next four years, and it's nice to see a presidential candidate, of either party, that understands that.
