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Posted by Kari Chisholm on Sunday, September 30, 2007

Senator Wyden on CNN’s Late Edition

This morning, on CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, Senator Ron Wyden appeared with Senator Kit Bond (R-MO), a fellow member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. 

First, on the human rights violations in Myanmar, Senator Wyden: 

The big challenge of course is that China is the big patron here.  We have to get China more involved.  Once again, you can follow the oil money.  This is another issue where it looks like the Chinese oil interests have been propping up the junta.

Next, Senator Wyden addressed suggestions regarding a possible war with Iran: 

I think we ought to be supporting the reformers in Iran.  Very often, the military people - because they’re so familiar with combat - are some of the people most interested in better relations with the United States.  The fact of the matter is that Ahmadinejad is up to no good.  Explosives are coming from Iran into Iraq.  I think we are already entangled in two wars.  It seems to me, if the Administration means to get us into a third, they ought to come to Congress and ask for direct authorization.  I can tell you based on my conversations with colleagues, I don’t think there’s a majority of support in the United States Senate for authorizing war with Iran.

Wolf Blitzer: "Are Iranians killing Americans in Iraq?"

There is no question in my mind… that explosives are coming from Iran into Iraq....  The Iranians are up to no good.  What we need to do is target those military people in Iran with very tough financial sanctions.  Then, of course, in November - a big vote in the U.N.

Regarding the bigger picture in Iran: 

We have got to find a way to marginalize Ahmadinejad.  He’s having all kinds of problems there.  He’s losing elections, people are rioting over oil prices, we’re seeing tremendous concern about the economy there.  We’ve got to find a way to build alliances with reformers, with people who share our values, who want better relations, to marginalize Ahmadinejad - who, of course, said preposterous things this week when he was in the United States.

And in the final segment, regarding Iraq: 

[Iraq is] not making progress with respect to political reconciliation - and we need to get some new policies that promote it.  ... It’s time to establish a moratorium on American oil companies setting up side deals with these regional governments.  ... It undermines the concept of national reconciliation. ....  The whole point of the surge was to show progress in terms of political reconciliation.  If you look at those benchmarks, we’re not getting it done. ... We have got to find a way - with 3800 deaths of our soldiers, we’re spending $300 million in Iraq… we have got to find a way.

Sounds about right.  Note: I transcribed this by hand, so apologies for any errors.

Comments (1)

• Posted by Marc Tringali on Wednesday, October 3, 2007

  Gee thanks for voting against the Kyl amendment, but then you turn around and voted for 150 billion dollars in funding to continue the Iraq war.  You have some serious explaining to do. We are against the war and you’ve voted to continue the slaughter. Why?  I’ve voted for you several times, now I’m looking for a challenger.

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