April 24, 2008 (LPAC)--Lyndon LaRouche denounced the media liars who are trying to stoke Dick Cheney's war drive against Iran by using Sen. Hillary Clinton's remarks on Iran, in her interview with ABC's Good Morning America on April 22. After that interview, hundreds of press stories announced--falsely--that Clinton had ``threatened'' to ``totally obliterate'' Iran.

``Anyone in the press who is playing Clinton's statement up as a threat is either ignorant or a liar, because her answer describes what has been standing U.S. presidential policy, for both Democrats and Republicans since the mid-1990s,'' LaRouche said. ``The policy was adopted when Pakistan developed nuclear weapons because the United States does not want Israel retaliating with its own nuclear strike. Such a move by Israel, long ago was war-gamed as the `breakaway ally' scenario that would immediately lead to global war.''

Let's set the record straight. First of all, Clinton was answering a question as to ``what if Iran attacked Israel with nuclear weapons.'' Most of the most hysterical press coverage didn't even say that Clinton was responding to a question on the ``unthinkable'' worst case scenario--a nuclear strike on Israel.

The answer Clinton gave was, ``In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them. That's a terrible thing to say but those people who run Iran need to understand that, because that perhaps will deter them from doing something that would be reckless, foolish and tragic.''

According to a Washington-based high level intelligence source, Clinton's statement filled a vacuum by simply articulating what has been the standing U.S. policy on protecting Israel since Pakistan developed nuclear weapons.