[hinckley buzzard]

Right now Iran is no threat to the Comntinental United State, while it is a threat to Europe.

The Soviet Union was no threat to the continental United States in 1948 but that did not stop far-seeing leaders from establishing NATO to keep the Red Army where it was.

The first notification of the existence of a definite islamic "threat to the continental United States" will be just a bit too late.

I'm not interested in waiting for that threat to develop. The first Cold War, with determined but sane and calculating Soviets, was bad enough for my taste. Now we are talking about psychotic moslem A-holes playing around with nukes, who consider a retaliatory strike from the West as causing mere "damages."

The answer to the question in the title is, "whatever it takes."

[sgtbono2002]

The day we decide to bomb Iran alone without the Europeans we will face nothing but criticism.

Yes : we will be saving their asses and getting criticised for it. I say let them sweat awhile. Let Iran nuke them and then we wipe out the whole stinking monster.

[Salem]

hinckley buzzard wrote, "I'm not interested in waiting for that threat to develop. The first Cold War, with determined but sane and calculating Soviets, was bad enough for my taste. Now we are talking about psychotic moslem A-holes playing around with nukes, who consider a retaliatory strike from the West as causing mere "damages."

Neither am I, or I hope the rest of the sane world. The apocalyptic Islamist mindset of the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad regime has been amply explored in recent months in great detail on Free Republic. As LibWhacker wrote concerning previous "international law" on preemptive force, "...Can't be applied to the nuclear era. The old law is inadequate. It's not America's or Israel's fault if international law hasn't kept up with the realities of the 20th Century (never mind the 21st)."

That is reality. The nuclear factor raises the stakes way too high, and old ideas of "containment" and "sanctions" are just impediments to coming to grips with the fact that lunatics like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad only understand one thing: Force. And men and women of caliber willing to utilize that force in a self-defensive manner.

Although I certainly support any reform efforts within the country, the ability of the reformers, at least now, is not a viable option without more overt help from outside.

Outside of that, I predict that Iran will be a nuclear power before 2006 is out, radically changing the face of that whole region—unless the West finds the military, political, moral and spiritual will to stop this insanity. Iran will be a challenge we cannot escape facing, and President Bush's most pressing foreign policy challenge over the next few years.

I'm pinging Southack if he cares to contribute.

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AMERICA AT WAR
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Islam, a Religion of Peace®? Some links...  by backhoe
The Clash of Ideologies - A Review