Warner: America needs to rally against Iran’s nuclear ambitions

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By Ed Tibbetts | Wednesday, September 20, 2006 12:20 AM CDT | () comments

MUSCATINE, Iowa — The United States needs to rally the world against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

But there should be a multi-national effort to engage it in negotiations to lessen violence in Iraq, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner said here Tuesday.

Warner, a moderate who may seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, met with a few dozen activists at a fundraiser here for Rep. Nathan Reichert, D-Muscatine, as part of a three-day swing through the state.

Here, Warner was quizzed about what he would do in Iraq.

The ex-governor criticized the administration’s conduct of the war, and he said the U.S. needs to show it has no permanent plans to remain in the country, move toward redeployment of its troops — and encourage a multi-country dialogue with Iran.

Iran is blamed for much of the sectarian violence in Iraq. “We’ve got to have that diplomatic effort,” Warner said.

In an interview, he also said the Bush administration shouldn’t move off its insistence that Iran stop its uranium enrichment program before it engages in direct negotiations.

“I don’t believe the United States should move off its current position at this point,” he said, but encouraged “back channel” efforts.

He also rejected a suggestion by a person in the audience here that President Bush meet with Iran’s president at the United Nations.

Both were in New York on Tuesday.

Like other Democrats, Warner said the Iraq War has led to an increasing anger at the U.S., which has made Americans less safe. But, overall, he said the country is safer than it was five years ago, albeit only incrementally.

“It’s been five years without a terrorist attack on our country,” he said, echoing a line many Republicans use.

Warner did say far more needs to be done to make the country safer, such as more cargo screening and greater intelligence gathering and sharing.

The co-founder of the company that became Nextel, Warner was the governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006. By state law, he had to step down after one term.

Ed Tibbetts can be contacted at (563) 383-2327 or etibbetts@qctimes.com.