AP, Washington, 17 June 2014 — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed caution Tuesday about the United States working with Iran to combat fast-moving Islamic insurgents in Iraq, saying the U.S. needs to understand “what we’re getting ourselves into.
Clinton said at a CNN town hall meeting that any partnerships with third parties such as Iran would need to be “carefully thought through.”
“I am not prepared to say that we go in with Iran right now, until we have a better idea what we’re getting ourselves into,” said the former secretary of state.
Clinton said during the Fox interview with Bret Baier and Greta Van Susteren that she did not support the U.S. entering into formal negotiations with Iran regarding the Iraq unrest.
Clinton has maintained strong ties to Jewish Americans and has raised skepticism that Iran would agree to a comprehensive deal to remove its nuclear weapon capabilities, stressing that any deal would need to maintain U.S. and Israeli national security.
Clinton said in the CNN forum that Iran could prop up Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government the same way Iran helped Syrian President Bashar Assad’s hold onto power when rebels challenged his government.
She also criticized Maliki’s decision to purge “the military we helped train” and forced out “the most able commanders.”
