NIAC hits out at Lieberman

WASHINGTON, June 18 (UPI) -- An Iranian-American group has condemned Sen. Joe Lieberman's hawkish talk on Iran in the U.S. media.

The National Iranian American Council issued a statement last week saying that it "denounces Sen. Joe Lieberman's, I-Conn., irresponsible" call for war with Iran in a June 10 interview on "Face the Nation."

"In spite of the White House's recent shift towards diplomacy, Lieberman revived unsubstantiated accusations by administration hawks of Iranian meddling in Iraq as a pretext for military action," the group said.

"By moving the military option center stage, Lieberman undermines the administration's efforts to use diplomacy to stabilize Iraq and protect U.S. troops," said NIAC President Trita Parsi. "It is simply reckless to make such comments when diplomacy has just begun."

NIAC noted that President George W. Bush authorized "unprecedented bilateral talks with Iran last month, a move advocated by lawmakers, the Iraq Study Group, and foreign policy experts alike. The aim of the talks is to seek Iranian support for the stabilization of Iraq.

"At a time when the United States needs international cooperation to solve serious problems such as Iraq and Darfur, Sen. Lieberman continues to promote a failed policy of coercion and force, further jeopardizing our country's standing and security," said NIAC board member Dokhi Fassihian.

"Today, the world supports cooperation between Iran and the United States in Iraq. We are puzzled by the senator's desire to scuttle the diplomatic process and enflame the region even more," he said.