CLINTON CLARITY, WHITE HOUSE MUSH – AT 8:20 A.M. ET:  We find ourselves in the heretical position of praising Hillary Clinton.

The fact is, her statements on Iran during her current Mideast trip have been tough, pointed, unyielding, and just right.  Whether they will lead to anything concrete is another story.  But one wishes she'd get some greater public backing from the pot of mashed potatoes known as the White House.  Alas, we wait for Mr. Obama to be firm on something.

Ms. Clinton has accused Iran of marching toward a military dictatorship.  Iran, apparently wounded by the unloving comment, has responded sharply, as The New York Times reports:

Locked in a sharpening confrontation with the United States, Iran on Tuesday rejected an assertion by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that it was becoming a military dictatorship, saying America itself answered to that description.

The foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, “raised questions about the United States military dictatorship in the region,” the English-language Press TV broadcaster said, accusing Washington of practicing “modern deceit” and using “fake words” to disguise its intentions in the Persian Gulf area.

On Monday, Mrs. Clinton said Washington fears that Iran is drifting toward a military dictatorship with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps assuming ever greater political, military and economic power.

But, in Tehran on Tuesday, Mr. Mottaki said: “We are regretful that the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tries to conceal facts about the stance of the U.S. administration through fake words,” Press TV said.

Not exactly stirring words.  Hillary must have touched a nerve.

Adding to the regional weirdness, Saudi Arabia, which we'd thought was on board with new sanctions on Iran, is now balking, but no one can quite figure out the Saudi position.  From AP: 

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Monday expressed doubts about the usefulness of more sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

Prince Saud al-Faisal told a news conference in the Saudi capital that the threat posed by Iran's nuclear ambitions demands a more immediate solution than sanctions. He described sanctions as a long-term solution, and he said the threat is more pressing.

More immediate?  The foreign minister didn't ask, didn't tell.  But "immediate" has a very military ring to it.

Stand by for more.

February 16,  2010