Edwards has taken some heat from Kossacks for the bellicose tone of his recent speech on Iran. Yesterday, Ezra Klein interviewed Edwards on Iran, in which he asked Edwards to elaborate on what he said. Specifically, he addresses his statement that "all options must remain on the table," including the use of force against Iran:
EDWARDS: I think the reason people react the way they do -- I understand it, because, when George Bush uses this kind of language, it means something very different for most people. I mean when he uses this kind of language "options are on the table," he does it in a very threatening kind of way -- with a country that he's not engaging with or making any serious diplomatic proposals to. I mean I think that he's just dead wrong about that.
KLEIN: So we should, first step, talk to Iran, try to open up negotiations?
EDWARDS: Correct
KLEIN: Do it, if necessary, bilaterally?
EDWARDS: Absolutely.
In the interview, he offers his view on how the United States should approach Iran, and this perspective on the consequences of the use of force against Iran:
Now that's on the one hand, the flip side of this is what happens if America were to militarily strike Iran? Well you take this unstable, radical leader, and you make him a hero -- that's the first thing that'll happen. The Iranian people will rally around him. The second thing that will happen is they will retaliate. And they have certainly some potential for retaliating here in the United States through some of these terrorist organizations they're close to, but we've got over a hundred thousand people right next door. And most people believe that they have an infrastructure for retaliation inside Iraq. So, that's the second thing that'll happen. And the third thing is there are a lot of analysts who believe that an air strike or a missile strike is not enough to be successful. To be successful we'd actually have to have troops on the ground, and where in the world would they come from?
To me, at least, it seems that Edwards shares the concerns that many Kossacks have expressed with respect to the prospect of war with Iran, and that those concerns inform his strong preference for engagement.
The entire interview is worth a read - in it, Edwards discusses not only his view on Iran, but also his views on Israel and Palestine, and further thoughts on his Iraq vote.
Props to hells kitchen for drawing my attention to this interview.