Everywhere Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) looks in the world, he sees a
crisis, and believes these combined crises could soon “throw the world
into chaos we haven’t seen since WWII.”
In his first major foreign policy speech
as a presidential candidate, Graham told a packed room at the Atlantic
Council think tank in D.C. what he would do if he became Commander in
Chief, a list that tilted heavily to where he would use military force.
Though he rattled off a laundry list of threats to U.S. national
security throughout his speech, Graham called the current diplomatic
negotiations with Iran “the greatest existential threat to world order”
and “North Korea in the making.”
“I don’t mind Iran or any other nation having a nuclear power program
for peaceful reasons,” he said. But if the current negotiations produce
a deal that doesn’t include the ability for the U.S. to inspect Iran’s
nuclear reactors “anytime, anywhere,” Graham would resort to
“overwhelming” military force.
“I don’t want a war, but if that’s what you want you’re going to lose
it,” he said, pretending to address Iranian leaders directly. “We’re
going to sink your navy and shoot your Air Force down.”
The inflammatory remarks come the same week top U.S. and Iranian officials are down to the wire on a historic agreement to restrict Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for lifting harsh economic sanctions.
It’s not the first time Graham has attempted to undercut the negotiations. In March, he was one of 47 Republican senators to sign onto a letter
to the Iranian government warning that a future president could undo
any deal they come to on the country’s nuclear program after President
Obama leaves office. Like Graham, the other authors of the letter have expressed eagerness for war with Iran.
Read more: 2016 Candidate Promises To Wage War In Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq | ThinkProgress
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