Pickering: Iran sanctions alone won't stop nuclear program

October 8, 2012 3:00 AM

Retired U.S. Ambassador Thomas Pickering talks with CBS News State Department correspondent Margaret Brennan about the paper he authored with colleagues warning against a U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities without a thorough cost/benefit analysis. With time, he explains, a "sensible civilian program" in Iran could be possible, but not until after Nov. 6. "No president in an election period wants to appear to be entering into diplomatic compromises, particularly if they involve taking some risks," he says.

Recommended

Hagel: Military sexual assault a "scourge" that "must be stamped out"
1:22 May 25, 2013

Hagel: Military sexual assault a "scourge" that "must be stamped out"

Calling sexual assault in the military a "scourge" and a "profound betrayal of sacred oaths and sacred trusts," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the graduating cadets at West Point on Saturday, "You must be the generation of leaders that stop it."
On Memorial Day weekend, Obama praises "fallen heroes"
3:40 May 25, 2013

On Memorial Day weekend, Obama praises "fallen heroes"

President Obama praised "all the men and women who have given their lives in service to this country we love" in his weekly address on Saturday, saying, "We are who we are today - a free and prosperous nation, the greatest in the world," because of their sacrifice.
Okla. Sen. mourns "tragic" tornado, vows perseverance
4:08 May 25, 2013

Okla. Sen. mourns "tragic" tornado, vows perseverance

Mourning the devastation wrought by this week's tornado in Oklahoma, Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., delivered the weekly Republican address on Saturday, declaring, "Oklahoma has been hit hard, but we're not knocked out."
Obama honors victims of civil rights-era church bombing
2:33 May 24, 2013

Obama honors victims of civil rights-era church bombing

President Obama signed a bill conferring the Congressional Gold Medal on four young black girls killed during a 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, saying that the tragedy and heartbreak of the bombing forced America to reexamine race relations and eventually helped bring about a "more just and equal and fair America."
Michelle Obama gets her groove on with school kids
3:16 May 24, 2013

Michelle Obama gets her groove on with school kids

First lady Michelle Obama stopped by Savoy Elementary School in Washington, D.C. on Friday to share in some dancing fun with the kids and reinforce the importance of the arts and a good education. After visiting several classrooms, the first lady told an audience at the school that hard work is the key to success, reminding them, "No one is born smart."
What would an end to the "war on terror" look like?
5:43 May 24, 2013

What would an end to the "war on terror" look like?

Flash Points: President Obama declared that the war on terror, "like all wars, must end," during a speech on Thursday, and CBS News Senior National Security Analyst Juan Zarate talks with CBS News National Security Correspondent Bob Orr about what the president meant when he said that and why any adjustments in counterterrorism policy must reflect a changing - but still perilous - threat environment.
Obama forgets to salute while boarding Marine One
0:32 May 24, 2013

Obama forgets to salute while boarding Marine One

President Obama boarded Marine One to depart for the U.S. Naval Academy today but forgot to salute the marine standing by the helicopter, as presidents have traditionally done. After initially boarding the helicopter, Mr. Obama briefly disembarked to exchange a few words with the marine standing outside.