Organizing for America

DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MEETING WITH FOREIGN LEADERS

THE FACTS: FIVE FORMER SECRETARIES OF STATE AS WELL AS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAVE ENDORSED TALKING TO IRAN

Former Secretary Of State Kissinger Said U.S. Should Talk To Iran “Without Conditions.” “Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger today told an audience in Washington, DC that the U.S. should negotiate with Iran "without conditions" and that the next President should begin such negotiations at a high level. The former Nixon and Ford U.S. Secretary of State early in the year indicated his belief that the U.S. should hold direct talks with Iran when speaking to Bloomberg Television.” [ABC News, 9/15/08]

Kissinger: US “Has To Talk To Adversaries” And Find A “Mode Of Negotiation” To Do So With Iran. Secretary Kissinger said, “I agree with Jim that one has to talk to adversaries but one should not treat it as a psychiatric problem, so that it's just a question of going into a room and creating goodwill. How well we negotiate with Iran depends in part on the objective balances that exist in the region. The reason it worked when Colin was secretary is because we had a force in Afghanistan. We were changing the situation, but we recognized that Afghanistan could not be solved without the participation of 5 the neighbors, and in that context, it was possible to get an agreement with Iraq. If Iran considers itself a significant country that wants to be respected, we ought to find a mode of negotiation, because if things get tougher, we have to be able to tell the American people that we have done everything we can to explore a peaceful evolution.” [Transcript , 3/27/08]

Couric: Kissinger Confirmed Talks Without Preconditions. Katie Couric said, “Incidentally, we confirmed Henry Kissinger’s position following our interview. He told us he supports talks, if not with Ahmadinejad, then with high-level Iranian officials without preconditions.” [CBS News, 9/25/08]

Charlie Gibson: Bush Administration Insisted It Would Not Talk With Iran, But Its New Willingness to Talk “Is Essentially What Barack Obama Has Been Proposing.” Charlie Gibson: “The Bush administration, for years, has insisted it would not talk with Iran until Iran suspended its nuclear enrichment program. That policy was reversed today. The State Department said it will send Undersecretary of State William Burns to meet face-to-face with Iran’s nuclear negotiator this weekend. So, Martha Raddatz is here to explain what seems like a major turnaround…There are political implications to this because this is essentially what Barack Obama has been proposing, isn't it?” Martha Raddatz said, “It sure sounds like it, Charlie. There’s a good quote today, from John Bolton, the former U.N. ambassador. He said this is like getting an Obama administration six months early. The White House says it's very different. But it sure sounds like it's heading in that direction.” [ABC World News, 7/16/08]

Washington Post Fact Checker: “McCain Is Distorting History When He Suggests That Barack Obama Is Bucking American Presidential Tradition In Expressing A Willingness To Meet With The Leaders Of Countries Hostile To The United States.” “McCain is distorting history when he suggests that Barack Obama is bucking American presidential tradition in expressing a willingness to meet with the leaders of countries hostile to the United States. Hitler apart, U.S. presidents have held meetings with some of the greatest mass murderers in history. It is also incorrect to suggest, as both McCain and President Bush have done, that the mere willingness to meet or negotiate with foreign dictators constitutes "appeasement," a term used to describe actions such as the surrender of the Czech Sudetenland to Nazi Germany in a desperate bid to avoid World War II.” [Washington Post, 5/21/08 ]