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Clinton Warns of Iranian Efforts to Fill Middle East Power Vacuum

(Jerusalem Post) Hilary Leila Krieger - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Tuesday that Iran is aggressively trying to take advantage of the domestic upheavals across the Arab world and warned that the U.S. needs to maintain robust aid and involvement in the region to keep Tehran from succeeding. Clinton described Iran as working "every single day with as many assets as they can muster trying to take hold of this legitimate movement for democracy." "There's no doubt in my mind, if we are not present, and present in resources, not just in rhetoric, not just saying what we're for but being able to deliver on that, others will fill that vacuum....We are in a competition. I just stress over and over again, we've got to be there. We've got to fight back." Clinton also indicated that the U.S. was trying to take the initiative in ensuring that the implementation of more democratic governments would not be exploited by groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. "We are trying to suggest certain guidelines that should be used for determining whether a political party or any organization should be included in elections, included in government," she noted, adding that when it came to whether the Muslim Brotherhood could abide by democratic institutions, "the jury is out." Clinton also underscored that the U.S. remained committed to ratcheting up the pressure of sanctions against Iran, "constantly looking to improve them, to strengthen them, to tighten them."
2011-03-02 00:00:00
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