Edwards: Clinton Flip-Flopping On Iran

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards on Monday accused rival Hillary Rodham Clinton of a two-faced foreign policy and argued that she is failing to do enough to stop what he called President Bush's march to war with Iran.

"Senator Clinton is voting like a hawk in Washington, and talking like a dove in Iowa and New Hampshire," Edwards told hundreds of people gathered at the University of Iowa, where he offered his ideas on dealing with Iran.

Edwards, the 2004 vice presidential nominee and a former North Carolina senator, was stepping up criticism of Clinton's vote in Congress to declare Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization, which Edwards said is a mistake.

He has said that by her vote, she and other lawmakers are allowing Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to "rattle the sabers" of war, and giving them the excuse they need to attack Iran, just as they attacked Iraq.

"The war in Iraq isn't even history yet, but the Bush Administration is repeating the march to war with Iran, and they're getting help from people who should know a lot better," Edwards said. "George Bush, Dick Cheney, and the neocon warmongers used 9/11 to start a war with Iraq and now they're trying to use Iraq to start a war with Iran. And we have to stop them."

Clinton has argued she was voting for stepped up diplomacy, but her campaign has been concerned that Iowa voters may not be getting that message. She sent a mailer to Iowa Democrats explaining her position.

Clinton spokesman Mark Daley contended in a statement that "while Senator Clinton has been a leader in the effort to stop the rush to war with Iran and has consistently called for engagement with Iran aimed at ensuring that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons, Edwards is spending his days attacking other Democrats."

Edwards echoed another Democratic rival, Barack Obama, in favoring better diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran than has existed with the Bush administration. Edwards favors low-level talks between government officials with the goal of full diplomatic relations.

Edwards offers one caveat - any high-level meeting be contingent on ensuring U.S. security and avoiding a session for propaganda purposes.

While Edwards emphasizes diplomacy, he's quick to point out that if he were president, he would keep his options open when it comes to Iran - which he says is a dangerous country that appears to be working toward building a nuclear bomb, supports terrorist activity, rejects U.N. Security Council resolutions and threatens Israel, a U.S. ally.

"Let me be clear - we should take Iran seriously. As commander in chief, if I ever learn that any nation is threatening imminent attack, I'll do what's necessary to protect America," he said. "But the one thing we should absolutely not be doing is launching another so-called preventive war with Iran.

With two months before voting begins in Iowa, Clinton has a slight lead in state polls but Edwards and Obama are not far behind.

Obama also has criticized Clinton for her vote and has said he would personally negotiate with Iran, offering economic incentives and a chance for peaceful relations if Iranian leaders would forgo pursuit of nuclear weapons and support of terrorists.