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Click on the image to view Governor Palin's
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Governor Sarah Palin
Republican Vice-Presidential Candidates queried on Israel and Iran
Sarah Palin took second place in the 1984 Miss Alaska pageant at which she won
a college scholarship. In 1987, she received a BS in communications from the
University of Idaho, and worked the next year as a sports reporter for KTUU-TV
in Anchorage. She began her political career in 1992 as city councilman for
Wasilla, Alaska while she and her husband Todd were members of the Alaskan
Independence Party which "challenges the legality of the Alaskan statehood vote
as illegal and in violation of United Nations charter and international law". In
1996, she joined the Republican party, raised money for Presidential candidate
Pat Buchanan, and was elected mayor of Wasilla by a 909 to 292 vote margin. In
2006, she defeated Tony Knowles (114,697 to 97,238) to become Alaska's first
woman governor and the youngest governor in Alaskan history.
On September 11, 2008, ABC News televised the first interview of Governor
Palin since she was named as Senator John McCain's running mate on August 29.
Charlie Gibson asked Governor Palin about her views on a wide range of subjects
including the Iranian nuclear program and its threat to the State of Israel.
GIBSON: Let me turn to Iran. Do you consider a nuclear Iran to be an
existential threat to Israel?
I believe that under the leadership of Ahmadinejad, nuclear weapons in the
hands of his government are extremely dangerous to everyone on this globe, yes.
GIBSON: So what should we do about a nuclear Iran? John McCain said the only
thing worse than a war with Iran would be a nuclear Iran. John Abizaid said we
may have to live with a nuclear Iran. Who's right?
No, no. I agree with John McCain that nuclear weapons in the hands of those who
would seek to destroy our allies, in this case, we're talking about Israel,
we're talking about Ahmadinejad's comment about Israel being the "stinking
corpse, should be wiped off the face of the earth," that's atrocious. That's
unacceptable.
GIBSON: So what do you do about a nuclear Iran?
We have got to make sure that these weapons of mass destruction, that nuclear
weapons are not given to those hands of Ahmadinejad, not that he would use them,
but that he would allow terrorists to be able to use them. So we have got to put
the pressure on Iran and we have got to count on our allies to help us,
diplomatic pressure.
GIBSON: But, Governor, we've threatened greater sanctions against Iran for a
long time. It hasn't done any good. It hasn't stemmed their nuclear program.
We need to pursue those and we need to implement those. We cannot back off. We
cannot just concede that, oh, gee, maybe they're going to have nuclear weapons,
what can we do about it. No way, not Americans. We do not have to stand for
that.
GIBSON: What if Israel decided it felt threatened and needed to take out the
Iranian nuclear facilities?
Well, first, we are friends with Israel and I don't think that we should second
guess the measures that Israel has to take to defend themselves and for their
security.
GIBSON: So if we wouldn't second guess it and they decided they needed to do
it because Iran was an existential threat, we would cooperative or agree with
that.
I don't think we can second guess what Israel has to do to secure its nation.
GIBSON: So if it felt necessary, if it felt the need to defend itself by
taking out Iranian nuclear facilities, that would be all right.
We cannot second guess the steps that Israel has to take to defend itself.
To view previous editions of "In Their Own Words", please click here.
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