http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06213/710177-177.stmU.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., argued yesterday that there should be no cease-fire in Lebanon until Israel defeats Hezbollah.
A halt to military action without the elimination of the threat posed by the Shiite militia, the Republican said, would embolden not only Israel's enemies across its northern border, but a broader array of champions of "Islamic fascism," led by Iran.
"That's why it is absolutely incumbent on us not to agree to a cease-fire at this point," Mr. Santorum said during a campaign appearance in Green Tree. "It would be a horrible sign for all of us who believe that the only way to defeat Islamic totalitarianism, Islamic fascism, is to stop them. ... They are not going away."
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Last month, however, the senator struck a tougher tone in a National Press Club speech in which he said that the United States should seek regime change in Iran as part of a worldwide struggle against "Islamic fascism." While challenging Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Bush administration has not been willing to go so far as to demand a change in the government it seeks to negotiate with.
"Obviously, Iran is the chief facilitator and instigator when it comes to Hezbollah," Mr. Santorum said after an appearance in which he received the endorsement of a veterans group.