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Palin backs Israeli right to strike Iran

Sep. 12, 2008
JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST

The US must ensure that Teheran does not obtain weapons of mass destruction and should not second guess an Israeli decision to carry out a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, John McCain's running mate in the US presidential race, said Thursday night in an interview with ABC News that focused almost exclusively on foreign policy issues.

"I believe that under the leadership of [President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, nuclear weapons in the hands of his government are extremely dangerous to everyone on this globe," Palin asserted. "We have got to make sure these weapons of mass destruction; that nuclear weapons are not given to the hands of Ahmadinejad, not that he would use them, but that he would allow terrorists to be able to use them. So we have got to put the pressure on Iran."

When asked how the US should respond in the event of an Israeli attack on Iran, Palin said, "Well, first, we are friends of Israel, and I don't think that we should second guess the measures that Israel has to take to defend themselves, and for their security."

The interviewer went on to repeat the question in various forms, but Palin reiterated that "I don't think we can second guess what Israel has to do to secure its nation."

The Alaska governor was then asked to divulge her opinion regarding the roots of Islamic terrorism, which had led, seven years earlier, to the attack on the World Trade Center in New York.

"You know, there is a very small percentage of Islamic believers who are extreme, and they are violent, and they do not believe in American ideals. And they attacked us. And now we are at a point, here, seven years later, on the anniversary, in this post- 9/11 world, where we are able to commit to never again," she replied.

"The only option for them is to become a suicide bomber, to get caught up in this evil, in this terror. They need to be provided the hope that all Americans have, instilled in us, because we're democratic and we are a free, we're a free-thinking society."

During the interview Palin also reiterated opinions voiced by McCain regarding the Russian invasion of Georgia, saying that Tbilisi, as well as the Ukraine, should be allowed to join NATO's ranks. Asked whether such a move could precipitate a military conflict between US and Russian forces should Russia invade Georgia once more, Palin replied, "Perhaps so. That is the agreement. When you are a NATO ally, if another country is attacked, you are going to be expected to be called upon and help."

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