Chris Dodd for President

September 14, 2007

The Honorable George W. Bush
The President
The White House
Washington, DC

Dear Mr. President;

I write to you out of deep concern regarding your administration’s handling of matters related to Iran and how they impact our security. The Government of Iran has pursued policies that are contrary to U.S. interests in the Middle East -- in Iraq, in Lebanon, in the West Bank and Gaza. Nor do I harbor any illusions about the Iranian leadership’s support for international terrorism or its quest to be a nuclear power. But I doubt that the increasingly bellicose public statements by United States officials will cause Iran to alter its behavior.

To date there has been a total absence of any serious U.S. diplomatic efforts to dissuade Iran from continuing its ill conceived and destabilizing policies. I am extremely concerned that your administration’s failure to employ robust diplomacy in dealing with the challenges posed by Iran could lead us down the same disastrous and ill-conceived path that has produced a failed policy in Iraq that has made us less secure. While I would never advocate taking the military option off the table as a policy option under any circumstance, I am convinced that at this time military action against Iran would be extremely dangerous and costly and would pose even more serious dangers to our interests and the interests of our friends and allies throughout the region. Moreover, it is my firm belief that the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force in no way grants license to deploy any military campaign against Iran.

Mr. President, the time for robust diplomacy is now. For that reason, I strongly recommend that you appoint an experienced and well respected diplomat as a special envoy for Iran. Such an appointment would enable you to reinvigorate US diplomatic efforts to bring Iran to the negotiating table and diffuse the poisonous atmosphere that has not served United States foreign policy or national security interests in Iraq or elsewhere in the region.

Thank you in advance for your serious consideration of this matter.

Sincerely yours,

Christopher J. Dodd
United States Senator

Earlier today Senator Dodd issued the following statement in response to Senator Obama's foreign policy speech:

"Frankly, I am not sure what Barack is calling for in his speech this morning. But it is dangerous and irresponsible to leave even the impression the United States would needlessly and publicly provoke a nuclear power. "As Commander in Chief, I would take the steps necessary to defend the American people, beginning with hunting down Osama bin Laden and stopping terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons. But I will not declare my intentions for specific military action to the media in the context of a political campaign."