GOP hopefuls won’t rule out nukes in Iran

Republican presidential candidates would not rule out tactical nuclear strikes to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Four of the 10 candidates appearing at a debate Tuesday night in Manchester, N.H., were asked whether they would use tactical nuclear weapons in a pre-emptive strike. All four – Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore – said they would. “I think it could be done with conventional weapons, but you can’t rule out anything and you shouldn’t take any option off the table,” Giuliani said. Later in the debate broadcast on CNN, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), the single anti-war candidate, chided his colleagues.”We in the past have always declared war in the defense of our liberties or go to aid somebody, but now we have accepted the principle of pre-emptive war,” Paul said. “And now, tonight, we hear that we’re not even willing to remove from the table a pre-emptive nuclear strike against a country that has done no harm to us directly and is no threat to our national security.” Candidates also cast withdrawal from Iraq in terms of the dangers it would pose to Israel.”You withdraw to the borders and watch genocide take place inside Baghdad,” said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) “You watch the destabilization of Jordan. You see further jeopardy of Israel because of the threats of Hezbollah and Iranian hegemony in the region.”