That's basically what Jacques Chirac said about Iran having nukes.
President Jacques Chirac said this week that if Iran had one or two nuclear weapons, it would not pose a big danger, and that if Iran were to launch a nuclear weapon against a country like Israel, it would lead to the immediate destruction of Tehran.
President Jacques Chirac being interviewed Monday in his office. On Tuesday, he withdrew remarks on Iran.
The remarks, made in an interview on Monday with The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune and Le Nouvel Observateur, a weekly magazine, were vastly different from stated French policy and what Mr. Chirac has often said.
On Tuesday, Mr. Chirac summoned the same journalists back to Élysée Palace to retract many of his remarks.
Mr. Chirac said repeatedly during the second interview that he had spoken casually and quickly the day before because he believed he had been talking about Iran off the record.
Ah, the old "I thought I was off the record" excuse. I've known many a person who was tripped up because they assumed they were off the record when they weren't. Here's my golden rule for everybody who talks to the press: Never assume it is off the record. If you follow that rule, you are unlikely to ever have to apologize.
Chirac backtracked, saying that he didn't mean Tehran would be razed. He said several countries in the area would shoot the bomb down. I'm not convinced they would, considering the antipathy of the many Arab countries to Israel.
Chirac also retracted his statement that Saudi Arabia and Egypt could pursue nuclear weapons if Iran has one. I realize it is intemperate to speak the truth, but it seems to me that if Iran gets nukes, then other countries in the region will want them as well.
|