IRAN AND THE ARAB SPRING
Shortly before launching his presidential campaign, Santorum viewed Iran's decision to rhetorically support many of the Arab Spring uprisings and cast them as Islamic revolutions with trepidation:
As always, America needs to keep a watchful eye on Iran -- especially the growing alliances between key Muslim countries. While democracy is generally good, these "democratic revolutions" could easily turn sour and ultimately lead to the caliphate; so "beware the revolutions." The administration must wake up to who the enemy is -- recognizing the Muslim Brotherhood as such, for instance -- and that the U.S. cannot continue with fickle friendships. That is how gathering storms precipitate.
While campaigning, Santorum attacked Obama for not supporting "a real Arab Spring starting in 2009 with the protests in Iran," though the media was quick to point out that Iran is not an Arab country.
Santorum may be the most vocal and hard-line critic of Iran in the Republican field, but Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are giving him a run for his money, during an election season in which candidates on both sides of the aisle have ratcheted up their rhetoric against Iran. In his State of the Union address, President Obama declared that the United States would "take no options off the table" in preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon -- diplomatic code for not ruling out military force. The true test, of course, comes the day after the election, when the victor decides whether to make good on his campaign promises.
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
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