Posted on 06/19/2007 11:20:10 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Fred Thompson, the actor and former Senator widely seen as the Republicans' best hope for keeping the White House, called for a "blockade" of Iran yesterday.
The screen veteran, whose announcement as the eleventh contender for the Republican nomination is expected within days, also warned that "jihadists" were trying to bring the West to its knees.
Mr Thompson starred in Die Hard 2 and The Hunt for Red October before serving as Republican Senator for Tennessee.
During a visit to London, he delivered a hawkish lecture on foreign policy, singling out Iran's nuclear ambitions as a key threat to the West.
He recalled how President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad publicly threatened to "wipe Israel off the map".
He said: "When the president of Iran shares his nightmare visions before cheering crowds, those are not just a fanatic's version of an empty applause line. The only safe assumption is that he means it.
"If we know anything from modern history it is that when fanatical tyrants pledge to wipe out an entire nation, we should listen. We must gather our alliance and do all in our power to make sure that such men do not gain the capability to carry out their evil ambitions."
Mr Thompson said sanctions and diplomatic pressure should be used to compel Iran to obey three United Nations resolutions and stop enriching uranium. This highly sensitive process, now being done at Iran's nuclear plant in Natanz, can produce the material essential for a nuclear bomb.
The former Senator also suggested a more direct way of strangling Iran's economy. "A blockade would be a possibility if we could get the international cooperation, if in fact we're all reading off the same page and saw the nature of the threat," he said. "That would be one way to ensure that we didn't have to go to the military option."
Blockading Iran would technically be an act of war. It would involve using the US Navy's Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain - and the warships of any allied nation - to prevent shipping from reaching the Islamic republic's ports in the Gulf.
While choking the flow of imports into Iran, a blockade would also have worldwide repercussions by driving up the price of oil, possibly causing a global economic crisis.
During his lecture to Policy Exchange, a Right-wing think tank, Mr Thompson painted a bleak picture of a world torn by religious terrorism.
"The Western world is in an international struggle with jihadists who see this struggle as part of a conflict that has gone on for centuries and who won't give up until Western countries are brought to their knees," he said.
Mr Thompson, who is due to meet Baroness Thatcher today, said Britain was a vital ally.
He paid tribute to Tony Blair as a "statesman" and welcomed Gordon Brown as the "53rd prime minister of the United Kingdom".
Mr Thompson, 64, said: "We in the United States have never had occasion to doubt the fortitude and the faithfulness of the British people.
"As much as ever, we count ourselves lucky to call the United Kingdom our closest ally and we are proud to call you our finest friend."
Evidentally a quick study, Fred’s already playing the part!
Exactly 3 minutes for the first gnat to show up! Might be a new record!!
We get plenty of yours on our threads, too. :o)
...remember the letters from the UK to a district in Ohio during the 2004 election? ...remember recent British Conservative support for Giuliani?
Fred Thompson is Chairman of Condoleeza Rice’s International Security Advisory Board in the State Dept.
Duncan Hunter: Vietnam combat veteran, 173rd Airborne and 75th Army Rangers, Bronze Star, and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee until the Democrat majority was voted in during the 2006 election. Congressman Hunter continues to work in the Armed Services Committee.
And I hate to bring bad news, but...
British Conservatives Must Defend the U.S.–U.K. Special Relationship
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1713891/posts
(Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., The Heritage Foundation)
>Even the British know that Fred Thompson is the GOP’s “best hope” in 2008!<
The English have the peculiar habit of being polite and hospitable. I wouldn’t have them any other way. But don’t read in what may not be there. ‘Nuff said- I’m off to bed. Night all.
I know a man of Iranian desent who told me it would be easy to bring Iran to it’s knees. Iran cannot refine its own oil, it has to be sent to Yemen and a couple of other places nearby then brought back. All we’d have to do is block the ships going to the refineries and then their economy would tank. (Not my idea, but it has some merit).
Oil Rich Iran Faces Gas Rationing
By Gary Thomas
Voice of America
Washington
05 June 2007
http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-06-05-voa49.cfm?renderforprint=1&textonly=1&&TEXTMODE=1&CFID=87736357&CFTOKEN=82228918
But Gary Thomas is a little behind the times. Iran can refine more than 60 percent of its oil now. Here are a couple of pages of newer information from a quick search.
Iran plans to expand gasoline production: oil minister
Regional-Iran, Economics, 5/20/2006
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/060520/2006052001.html
Contract To Boost Gasoline Production At Bandar Abbas Refinery Signed.
Publication: APS Review Downstream Trends
Date: Nov 27 2006
Subject: Petroleum refineries (Production management)
http://www.allbusiness.com/agriculture-forestry-fishing-hunting/support-activities/4004378-1.html
It looks like the wishful thinking won’t help us. We’ll have to use military force in Iran.
Somehow I doubt that what's his nuts; Amanutjob/Amajihad, or whatever he's called, has that much sanity to work with.
Now the Iranian people on the other hand, if they have any sanity, really have to know that they cannot allow their "fearless leader" to reign much longer. Not if they know what's good for them. Cause I don't see Israel, or US letting them continue down the road they're on much longer. Because the longer it takes, the more extreme measures will be required.
We don't want that, and they don't want that.
I guess so.
I have a better chance of being the next president of the United States than Congressman Hunter, and if you think about it, you’ll know that I’m right. If Duncan Hunter invented both a cure for cancer and a way of converting sand into gasoline, it still wouldn’t gain him the White House! I respect Mr. Hunter’s achievements and thank him for his service, but electorally he is in the same category as Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel and Ron Paul! Why not back a conservative that can win?
Balls that Bush lacks.
I have told the guys down the street with the hunter for President Pickup that i support him.
I have donated needed grocery money but I do have doubts that he can be a front runner.
We need more Americans like Duncan to run for office or make themselves known.
This would be a better united states if he were elected.
GOD forgive me but I have my doubts of that miracle ever happening to save this great nation.
sadly: Okiedoc
“I respect Mr. Hunter’s achievements and thank him for his service, but electorally he is in the same category as Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel and Ron Paul! Why not back a conservative that can win?”
I think if enough of us true conservatives can get behind Duncan Hunter, then he’s got a shot. Thompson is too wishy-washy on immigration. He even said that it’s “impossible” to deport all 12 million immigrants and that we should try to give them all citizenship. You want someone like that in the White House? We need someone with a tough stance like Hunter, who will defend our border and not reward people for breaking the law. We cannot have a pro-amnesty President. And the GOP has got to stop promoting this “amnesty” idea just to win Hispanic votes. We’ve got to stand by our country and defend our national sovereignty.
I see your point, but there’s a lot of time ahead of us. Newt Gingrich said that he’ll announce in October and that there’s not much sense in starting campaigns earlier every few years.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.