Romney has said that "Syria is Iran's path to the sea" at least FIVE other times. And maybe more, because my research is from a April 15 article at the Washington Post.
The repeatred use of the phrase so confused the Post that it gave no Pinocchios not because they thought it was true but because
Like many governors (or first-term senators), Romney has little foreign policy experience. If Romney is elected president, he will quickly learn that words have consequences. Precision in language is especially important in diplomacy, and here Romney used a phrase that left people befuddled as to his intent and meaning, especially since he did not even make a distinction between the Mediterranean and Arabian seas.
The fact that Romney has used this confusing phrase at least five times suggested that the term was not an accident. But the Romney campaign’s explanation is not especially satisfying.
Still, at this point, we don’t think this is worthy of a Pinocchio rating — unless we create a category for weird language.
The first time he used the phrase was at the GOP Debate in Arizona in February.
Then Romney, in highlighting the ties between the two countries, claimed that Syria “is also their route to the sea.”
Then he said it again an
AIPAC meeting in March.
“Maybe one of the few bright spots in the Middle East developments in the last year has been the rising of the people in Syria against [President Bashar al-] Assad. Obviously, as you know, Syria is Iran’s only Arab ally in the region. Syria is the route that allows Iran to supply Hezbollah with weapons in Lebanon. Syria is Iran’s route to the sea.”
Then again during an
MSNBC interview.
But Syria is very different than Libya. It is the only key ally for Iran, its route to the sea.
On the radio with
Kilmeade & Friends.
And finally in a Washington Post interview in February.
“It is obvious Syria is Iran’s key ally, its path to the sea.”
What the heck is going on here? What is he actually trying to say. He is clearly hung up on the phraseology, because he mimics time and time again. It seems like someone programmed the Rombot with some wrong information and has not bothered to erase its. I suppose he is trying to make some point, but who knows, it is all very confusing. Or maybe he believes its true. And this was just up to April 15, has he used it more often? Let me know in the comments.