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Amb. Bolton: Iran not intimidated by sanctions

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    Can diplomacy cripple Tehran's nuclear ambition?

  • Duration 6:39
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Auckland in new job delivering what is expected to be his final speech to the UN as president of the Islamic republic.

Today's remarks -- a week of belligerent rhetoric in New York after taking aim at the US and Israel at a high level UN meeting on Monday.

On Tuesday called for a new world order free from what he calls American bullying -- All this is governor Mitt Romney and the Republican National Committee hit the president hard on foreign policy.

Releasing a scathing new web video attacking the president's handling of mideast policy.

And here's the governor speaking -- -- Carl Cameron yesterday reacting to the president's overall foreign policy and his recent comments about the violence.

Well I think what the president said the developments in the Middle East.

I like bumps in the road I think he badly misunderstand the nature of what's happening in the Middle -- not just the assassination of our diplomats.

But -- Muslim Brotherhood leader becoming the president of Egypt 20000 people being killed in Syria and Iran moving towards nuclear capability.

The developments in the Middle East are far from being bumps in the road.

-- joining us now former US ambassador to the UN ambassador John Bolton he is also -- Fox News contributor and a Mitt Romney for president supporter I should add.

We're also joined by former CIA Covert operations officer Mike Baker welcome gentlemen to both of you mr.

ambassador -- vote vote.

Well and Auckland in new job was here last year he was here the year before that this is to be his last address to the UN general assembly.

As Iran's president it doesn't appear that time has mellowed him.

Now he's not showing that he's intimidated at all by the economic sanctions imposed on a broader efforts to isolate and in fact.

The formulation that you described as one that's intended to appeal to the large majority.

In the United Nations that that he can look to for aid and comfort so I get sick clearly designed to support.

Iran's position across the board on the nuclear weapons program Syria you name we talk about those sanctions and we often use the word crippling our -- crippling sanctions now they're causing economic pain there's no doubt about it but the drop in the price of oil over the past week or so is cause more pain the real issue is will the sanctions stop Iran's nuclear weapons program and sad to say there's no evidence -- having any effect at all on that.

If a nation like north.

Korea might can develop nuclear weapons and it has.

And if it's been under sanctions for years.

How hard would it be for the Iranians to do the same well it's not -- mean as long as we continue this this game and they continue to be successful in their block and delay and stalling tactics and they're very good at that they've been doing that for years and years and years.

You know the calculus just doesn't add up we can't keep saying the sanctions and diplomacy.

You know against this fact it -- the clock is -- And if they play this game long enough.

They will have their weapons program the sanctions will never be crippling as long as Russia and China continue to do what they're doing which is facilitate -- you know Iran's efforts.

And and what did they get out of it is it just Iranian oil as it tweaking the United States what to those two nations -- lots of its both of those but they're acting in their own interests and has every nation should we sometimes apologize and attracting and -- Best interest in them were slow to that game sometimes.

But -- in Russia and China view it as important -- their agenda.

To block the sanctions in a meaningful way when President Obama spoke to the UN the other day he said we will do whatever it takes to prevent Iran.

From gaming -- from getting a nuclear weapon.

Will we.

Not not under his administration that's for sure look he's been saying that all options are on the table for three and a half years.

And it just has no credibility at this point the Israelis don't believe in the Iranians don't believe in the Russians and the Chinese don't believe him.

So that's why I think Ahmadinejad comes from a position of some confidence despite the sanctions that his overall strategic objectives are well within attainment.

It appears that he has now taken the podium these are live pictures from the UN floor no representatives of the US.

In attendance or what about the symbolism of that walking out on this speech mr.

ambassador.

Whether US mission issued a statement this morning saying they weren't attending because it's -- -- -- very holy day for the Jewish faith I think there are a lot of other reasons not to attend as well.

You just keep a note taker in the back of the delegation and I think it's entirely appropriate I think the US delegation should've walked out on Monday.

When Ahmadinejad also spoken called Israel -- fake state that's not just an insult that's an attack.

On the legitimacy of Israel and something to take very seriously dude -- go at my house this and that -- -- the investor -- of the very important because.

I don't know what point we don't start believing what they're saying repeatedly over and over ever since you know Ayatollah Khomeini came into power back in the eighties.

They've been talking about the elimination of Israel -- they say it in different ways but they always say it.

And I don't know at what point do we say you know what maybe they are serious and maybe we need to quit issuing statements that the rest of the world has to try to.

Decipher because they're op -- skating he he said that you know.

-- the Iranians have been on the on you know the globe as a culture for I think 101000 years.

He claims the Israelis have been in Jerusalem sixty or seventy years does he not know world history or does he just refused to acknowledge it.

Well I think all of the above plus he just lies about it -- he's a holocaust and higher for example and yet he's preparing the capability to with nuclear weapons to engage another holocaust.

And let's let's because it's not just Ahmadinejad as you as you say this is his last speech as president there's an election next year.

And while he's the public mouthpiece for the regime is not the worst part of it the Ayatollah -- -- need some of the other religious leaders.

The Iranian revolutionary -- -- and they're all going to be around long after Ahmadinejad goes still trying to get nuclear weapons.

You say Mike that we should take this you know his words more seriously I mean does the CIA actually sit down and and and run everything that he says through.

Through a press I mean do they pay attention -- to the actual words that he uses.

Sure absolutely although as investor points out.

What they really pay attention was -- the clerics say Ahmadinejad is is -- it increasingly less popular in his own country and he's on the way out.

Sat in a way because I I think there's value in giving him a world stage once a year so that him and can be reminded how crazy he has.

But the real power is and isn't in the clerics within that regime.

They take it very seriously and and again our intelligence wants not what we would like it to be.

It's not as bad as other people would make it out to be so.

There is a real concern here that does this -- the concept that we keep on going with the sanctions that aren't crippling we keep on going -- diplomacy.

Is playing in the Iranians hands to work out and get this program.

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