Clinton flip-flopping on nukes

Iran must be very confused:

Hillary Clinton faced scrutiny on Thursday over her attitude towards the use of nuclear weapons, amid a deepening foreign policy dispute with Barack Obama, her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Mrs Clinton criticised Mr Obama last week for ruling out the use of nuclear weapons in the hunt for terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, arguing that presidents should not discuss hypothetical military situations.

But it emerged on Thursday that Mrs Clinton had herself rejected nuclear weapons as an option against Iran in a television interview last year. "I would certainly take nuclear weapons off the table," she said in April 2006.

The apparent inconsistency could prove embarrassing to Mrs Clinton if it undermines her carefully crafted image for strength and reliability on foreign policy, in contrast to the more inexperienced Mr Obama.

A spokesman for Mrs Clinton insisted it was unfair to compare her comments with Mr Obama's because she had been responding to a specific report that the Bush administration was considering the nuclear option against Iran.

"She wasn't talking about a broad hypothetical, nor was she speaking as a presidential candidate.

"Given the sabre-rattling that was coming from the Bush White House at the time, it was totally appropriate and necessary to respond to that report and call it the wrong policy," he said.