Kelly Craft: Extending Iran arms embargo is a choice for freedom or tyranny
“We have an obligation to protect the Arab countries, to protect Israel, to protect the European countries,” Craft added.
By OMRI NAHMIASKelly Craft testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on her nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in Washington(photo credit: KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS)
WASHINGTON – US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft said on Tuesday that extending the arms embargo on Iran is “a choice between freedom and tyranny.” Speaking at the Aspen Institute Security Forum, Craft addressed a question about the embargo, which is set to expire on October 18. Last week, outgoing Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told The Jerusalem Post that extending the arms embargo is the most urgent task on the UN’s calendar.“We have an obligation to protect the Arab countries, to protect Israel, to protect the European countries,” Craft continued. “Russia and China – they, too, do not want Iran to have access to nuclear weapons. We all are aware of that.”Craft said that the US wants to protect people in Yemen, Syria, Libya, Lebanon and Venezuela. “I can go on and on where this rogue regime is going and only adding fuel to these little fires that they set themselves.”She said that together with special representative for Iran Brian Hook, she is trying to reach out to members of the Security Council and discuss their upcoming vote. “I think it's really important that we started early because this is obviously a very crucial issue that will affect the world for generations to come.”She acknowledged that China and Russia threatened to veto the resolution. “The strategy in a perfect world would always be to have them abstain and not veto,” Craft noted. “However, let's be realistic here. Right now, the strategy is working with the other members of the Security Council and making certain that we really just, as we did in Syria, put them in a corner and shine the light on them – because this is a choice between tyranny and freedom. And we will allow the world to see the choice that China and Russia will make.”Former national security adviser John Bolton spoke at the Security Forum as well. He said that he won’t vote for either Trump or Biden in November’s elections.“It's going to be an unhappy election day for me whoever wins, for very different reasons,” said Bolton.“I think Biden will be, at best, pursuing the Obama administration's foreign policy, which I thought was a mistake in material respects,” he continued.“I worry about the impact of the Left wing of the Democratic Party on the direction of his administration. I don't have any questions or doubts about Biden's integrity. This is a philosophical difference. And it's why I can't vote for him. I'm going to pick a name, which I haven't picked yet, and write-in somebody rather than vote for either one of them.”
