The Real News Network

The former chief of staff to Colin Powell, who has gone onrecord calling Powell's speech before the U.N. in 2003 laying out a case forwar with Iraq a "hoax", spoke to The Real News Network at this year'sAIPAC conference that did not shy away from painting Iran as a hostile, nuclearthreat. Larry Wilkerson was featured in the documentary "The IsraelLobby", saying that AIPAC was highly influential in the Bush Administration'sdecision to go to war in Iraq.

Wilkerson tells Senior Analyst Paul Jay in the interviewthat "President" Dick Cheney blocked an Iranian offer to negotiate in2003 because it didn't fit with his regime change agenda.

Saying he would "prefer to see the squabble ofdemocracy to the efficiency of dictators", Wilkerson asserts he is alifelong Republican who will not be voting for John McCain. As Barack Obamastill basks in his recent victory in the Democratic Party, Wilkerson questionsthe Senator's substance, and says he is awaiting signs of a real challenge totraditional US foreign policy assumptions.

Hear the first part of this interview on The Real NewsNetwork: Cheney blocked talks with Iran, and stay tuned as we roll out the next two partsin the coming days.