Carrot-and-Stick Best Iran Policy, Richardson Says

Monday, July 2, 2007

By William Petroski, Des Moines Register

June 28, 2007

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson laid out his foreign policy stance on Iran Wednesday, calling for a carrot-and-stick approach that would permit peaceful development of nuclear energy while forbidding nuclear weapons.

Richardson, a former United Nations ambassador and congressman, outlined what he described as the most definitive policy toward Iran among the crowded field of Democratic candidates for president. He spoke to the Center for National Policy in Washington, D.C., proposing negotiations with Iran with "no preconditions, no illusions."

"The clear message must be this: Develop nukes and you will face devastating global sanctions. Desist from developing nukes and you will receive meaningful rewards, including robust security guarantees and guaranteed supplies of nuclear fuel from abroad," he said.

Richardson said in an interview with The Des Moines Register later Wednesday that he strongly disagreed with President Bush's former U.N. ambassador, John Bolton, who told the Jerusalem Post this week that military intervention may be the only remaining option to stop Iran's drive to acquire nuclear weapons. Bolton said sanctions and diplomacy have failed, and it may be too late for internal opposition to oust the Islamic regime.

"That is a totally incorrect and irresponsible statement," Richardson said. "We haven't tried diplomacy. I believe what is needed is tough diplomacy, potential international sanctions, and the military option should be last."

Richardson said he would offer Israel a new set of security guarantees, but he would also push for a Middle East peace process. This would include a U.S. peace envoy who would work in conjunction with newly appointed Middle East envoy Tony Blair to demonstrate America's commitment to the peace process, he added.

Richardson said the United States should not negotiate with Iran's hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but he believes a dialogue is possible with other clerics, the Iranian foreign ministry and students.

For too long, the Bush administration lectured the Iranian leadership on what it had to do before the United States would talk directly to them, Richardson said. This policy was counterproductive, he added, and he is pleased that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is now starting to break this ice.

"Refusing to engage Iran diplomatically prevented us from making headway on issues vital to our national security, including not only nuclear weapons, but also Iraq, energy security and Middle East peace," he said.

Iowans who are evaluating Democratic candidates for the Iowa caucuses in January have a stake in the debate over Iran, Richardson told the Register.

"Because what we don't want is another Iraq. We don't want a military intervention in Iran at a time that our military intervention in Iraq has failed," he said. "What I would like to see for Iowans is a foreign policy based upon protecting ourselves against international terrorism ... but doing it in conjunction with other powers, with NATO; not going it alone and finding ways to have a dialogue with the Irans and the Syrias of the world."

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