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Pawlenty Rips Obama's Pre-9/11-Style 'Appeasement'
Blasts talks with Iran, N. Korea, says similar moves didn't stop Nazis, Soviets, terrorists
By W. McCahill
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Posted Sep 18, 09 10:11 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a possible Republican presidential contender in 2012, tonight compared President Obama’s diplomatic moves on Iran, North Korea and the missile shield to pre-World War II and pre-9/11 “appeasement,” Politico reports. “The lessons of history are clear,” he told Christian conservatives. “Appeasement and weakness did not stop the Nazis, appeasement did not stop the Soviets, and appeasement did not stop the terrorists before 9/11.”
The foreign-policy arena is a notable area of weakness for Pawlenty, who won’t seek re-election in Minnesota next year, Politico notes, and he chose to address it at a gathering that will also host 2012 GOP hopeful Mitt Romney later this weekend. “It is weakness, not strength, that tempts our enemies around the world,” Pawlenty added.