Wesley Clark: Iran ‘Got Closer’ to Nukes ‘at Each Stage’

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Story Is,” former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Wesley Clark (Ret.) stated that war with Iran “was inevitable,” and we know that “from the beginning, that Iran has wanted nuclear weapons” “And, at each stage, they got closer and closer.”

Clark stated, “[W]e always believe, at least I certainly believe, that you should use force only as a last, last, last resort. But it was clear from the strong efforts of the Obama administration, from what happened afterwards, from what we know has happened since, really, from the beginning, that Iran has wanted nuclear weapons. They’ve flirted with them. They’ve talked about it. They’ve negotiated. They’ve worked with the IAEA. They’ve worked against the IAEA. And, at each stage, they got closer and closer. We always knew there was going to be a problem, if you went after these weapons and didn’t get them the first time, then Iran would certainly do its part to get them the next time. So, we went after them in June, we didn’t get all those enriched uraniums. And so, I think what you’re dealing with here is a government that was bent, determined to get nuclear weapons, and would have used them.”

He added, “I can’t predict what the outcome will be. I’m not on the inside doing the planning. I’m not getting classified information. All I can tell you is, as a student of history and someone who’s participated in these operations in the past and watched this very closely as it’s emerged over 47 years, I think this war was inevitable, and I hope that it will end quickly and with the end of the Iranian regime and with a minimum loss of life on everybody’s part.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett