Mitt Romney: “Syria is Iran’s path to the sea”

During tonight’s presidential debate focusing on foreign policy, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said, “Syria is Iran’s path to the sea” while discussing the need to take action in regards to the situation in Syria.

Apparently Mitt Romney needs a refresher course on basic Middle East geography.

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18 thoughts on “Mitt Romney: “Syria is Iran’s path to the sea”

  1. Somebody get that map to Romney ! He is so scary how can republicans want that man in office . I hope this shows the undecided that he is an idiot that lacks the ability to tell the truth and the morale fiber to have his own belief system . I hope his son takes a swing at him for attempting to run for the president of the united states and not know the borders on the map . The very fact he wants equality for women in Mideast but can’t answer equality for women in the united states . Well at least he agrees with obma an endorsed he is doing a great job ! Yeahhhh democrats are now the winners of foreign policy ..

    1. Read the posts for enlightenment as to what Mitt was referring to. But, make sure you hurry and get your food stamps redeemed. Those rose colored glasses are confusing you…

      1. I love how every conservative who has left a comment here can divine what Mitt Romney “meant” or was “referring to,” as if they’re all a bunch of mind readers.

        Quick, tell me what I’m thinking!

  2. Bush didn’t know there are shia’s and sunni’s in Iraq 4 weeks before he invaded it.
    Romney doesn’t seem much more knowledgable about Iran 4 weeks before the election.
    Typical.

  3. Two points:
    A. Sanctions against Iran limit exports. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanctions_against_Iraq#Limitations_on_exports_and_the_Oil_For_Food_Programme

    B. Iran skirts around those sanctions by trading with Syria. http://www.academia.edu/1648541/The_Realist_Looks_at_Syria
    and http://thediplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2012/08/17/irans-syrian-endgame/

    Looks like you need to understand more about Foreign Trade, International Relations, and Commerce.

  4. Wow that’s a stupid comment.

    But speaking of geography, maybe you need to help Obozo out and let him know that there are not 57 states in the United States.

  5. Exactly Lisa, Romney was speaking that Iran’s only friend is Syria, and the Mediterranean Sea borders Syria, thus the “Syria is Iran’s path to the sea” remark. This appears to me to be a desperate act from Obama supporters, despite all their outlandish references to the contrary.

  6. Syria, Iraq, and Iran have a Memrandum of Understanding that will allow Iran to build a pipeline thru Iraq and Syria to the Med Sea in order to sell Iranian gas to Europe.

    Google it…it is easy to find.

    1. “Iranian oil officials said Syria would purchase between 20 million to 25 million cubic meters a day of Iranian gas. Iraq has already signed a deal with Tehran to purchase up to 25 million cubic meters a day to feed its power stations. ” [SOURCE]

      Syria and Iraq aren’t in Europe….at least not the last time I checked.

  7. When Romney said that Syria was Iran’s “route to the sea” – he was absolutely correct!

    Romney’s comment is not about geography – it’s about sanction-driven trade route realities. He’s not commenting on how people in Iran wake up on a hot day and walk to the beach, he’s commenting on how Iran is conducting trade currently, based on the fact that its own seaports get blocked as a result of the sanctions.

    This is no gaffe. This is not a case of Romney being ignorant of geography, it’s a case of the so-called “fact checkers” ignoring the context of his comments, and being ignorant of the trade routes now being used as by Iran as a result of sanctions.

    Romney was speaking in the context of the debate topic on foreign policy and the sanctions restricting the finances and trade of Iran. Although Iran is indeed located on the seacoast of the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, the international trade sanctions have restricted and impeded its ability to transport armaments and other goods through its own seaports. To defeat these trade sanctions, Iran has resorted to using its air transportation to transport goods through an air corridor in Iraqi airspace into Syria and its seaports, such as Latakia.

    Romney has made his “route to the sea” comment before, gotten “fact checked” on it, and went on to use it several more times before this debate – so you’d think this might give folks cause to re-think their geographically-hyper-focused critique of this comment. Wrong and or incomplete analysis by fact checkers on minor inconsequential issues like this is why they are losing credibility with the public, and why the Romney camp generally ignores them.

    I will say that there are many valid reasons to find fault with both candidates – this just doesn’t happen to be one of them.

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