At a recent meeting between high ranking Defense Department officials and British Parliamentarians at the Pentagon, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Coalition Affairs Debra Cagan remarked, "In any case, I hate all Iranians." The incident was confirmed by three of the visiting MPs present at the meeting.

This kind of hateful speech is completely inappropriate for a U.S. government official dealing with sensitive international issues, and is grounds for Cagan's immediate removal. Had she said "I hate all Jews", "I hate all Chinese people", "I hate all Indians", or "I hate all blacks" Mrs. Cagan would have immediately been removed from her position. The administration should not create moral and ethical distinctions based on racial and national groups.

The administration should move quickly to remove Cagan from her post and show the world that hateful and bigoted thinking does not determine U.S. foreign policy. If genuine diplomacy is to succeed, then there is no room at the Defense Department for this kind of behavior