Posted on 02/09/2007 5:23:58 AM PST by Schnucki
Why George Bush should resist a Wagnerian exit from the White House
“WE ARE not planning for a war with Iran.” So said Robert Gates, America's new defence secretary, on February 2nd. You cannot be much clearer than that. With a weak and isolated president, and an army bogged down in the misery of Iraq, the American Congress and people are hardly in fighting mood. Nonetheless, and despite Mr Gates's calming words, Iran and America are heading for a collision. Although the risk is hard to quantify, there exists a real possibility that George Bush will order a military strike on Iran some time before he leaves the White House two years from now.
America and Iran have been at loggerheads ever since Ayatollah Khomeini's revolution of 1979. But four things are making this old antagonism newly dangerous. One is Iran's apparent determination to build nuclear weapons, and a fear that it is nearing the point where its nuclear programme will be impossible to stop (see article). The second is the advent of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a populist president who denies the Holocaust and calls openly for Israel's destruction: his apocalyptic speeches have convinced many people in Israel and America that the world is facing a new Hitler with genocidal intent. The third is a recent tendency inside the Bush administration to blame Iran for many of America's troubles not just in Iraq but throughout the Middle East.
Any one of these would be destabilising enough on its own. Added together, they make the possibility of miscalculation and a slide into war a great deal more likely. That is all the more so when they are combined with a fourth new source of friction between America and Iran. This is the predicament of Mr Bush. A president who is now detached from electoral considerations knows that his place in history is going to be defined by the tests he himself chose to put at the centre of his foreign policy: bringing democracy to the Middle East and preventing rogue regimes from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Given his excessive willingness to blame Iran for blocking America's noble aims in the Middle East, he may come to see a pre-emptive strike on its nuclear programme as a fitting way to redeem his presidency. That would be a mistake.
Never attack a revolution
This newspaper supported America's invasion of Iraq. We believed, erroneously, that Saddam Hussein was working to acquire nuclear weapons. And we judged that the world should not allow a mass-murderer to gather such lethal power in his hands. In the case of Iran, the balance of risks points, though only just, in the other direction.
Even if it became clear that Iran was on the threshold of acquiring an atomic bomb, an American strike on its nuclear facilities would be a reckless gamble. Without America invading and occupying Iran—unthinkable after Iraq—such a strike would at best delay rather than end Iran's nuclear ambitions. It might very well rally support behind a regime that is at present not conspicuously popular at home, emboldening it to retaliate inside Iraq, against Israel and perhaps against the United States itself. Besides, it is far from clear exactly how dangerous a nuclear-armed Iran would be. Unlike Iraq under Saddam, Iran has a complex power structure with elements of pluralism and many checks and balances. For all its proclaimed religiosity, it has behaved since the revolution like a rational actor. To be sure, some of its regional aims are mischievous, and in pursuing them it has adopted foul means, including terrorism. But the ayatollahs have so far been shrewd calculators of consequences. There are already small signs of a backlash against the attention-seeking Mr Ahmadinejad. Like the Soviet Union, a nuclear Iran could probably be deterred.
But don't think Iran isn't dangerous
All of this suggests that in present circumstances it would be wrong for America to launch a military strike against Iran. But it would be the height of self-deception for anyone to jump to the conclusion that a nuclear-armed Iran would not be dangerous at all. It would be very dangerous indeed.
For a start, there is a danger that Iran's nuclear efforts will provoke a pre-emptive strike by Israel, which is already a nuclear power, albeit an undeclared one. For Israelis, whose country Mr Ahmadinejad says he wants to wipe off the map, it is not all that reassuring to hear that Iran can “probably” be deterred. Even if Israel were to decide against such a strike, Iran's going nuclear could destroy what is left of the international non-proliferation regime. It has proved hard enough for Arab states such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia to live with Israel's undeclared bomb; if their Iranian rival got one too, the race to copy might soon be on. On top of this is the danger that a nuclear Iran would feel safe to ramp up attempts to spread its revolution violently beyond its own borders.
Every effort should be made to stop an Iranian bomb. But there is a better way than an armed strike. In 2002 Mr Bush consigned Iran along with Iraq and North Korea to an “axis of evil”. Since 2004, for lack of good alternatives, he has been helping the efforts of Britain, France and Germany to talk rather than bludgeon Iran into nuclear compliance. Iran claims that its nuclear programme is for civil purposes only. Last year, the Europeans called its bluff by offering trade, civil-nuclear assistance and a promise of talks with America if it stopped enriching the uranium that could produce the fuel for a bomb. When Iran refused, diplomacy led in December to the imposition of economic sanctions by the Security Council.
This is a promising approach. The diplomacy at the United Nations proceeds at a glacial pace. But Iran is thought to be several years from a bomb. And meanwhile the Americans, Europeans, Russians and Chinese have at last all lined up on the same side of the argument. What is required now is a further tightening of the economic squeeze coupled with some sort of an incentive—most usefully an unambiguous promise from Mr Bush that if Iran returns to compliance with the nuclear rules it will face no attempt by America to overthrow the regime. Even then, America and Iran may be fated to lock horns in the Middle East. But the region, and the world, will be a good deal safer without the shadow of an Iranian bomb.
So essentually this writer approves of the approach taken Bush calling the talks "a promising approach" but still couldn't resist statements like,.. "With a weak and isolated president, and an army bogged down in the misery of Iraq...". It was a misery to read this tortured editorial.
Uh, yeah, I'm going to have to disagree with you there, Bob. The author is severely disillusioned if he thinks the longterm goals of China, Russia, and the US are the same. Absolutely ridiculous.
Rice said it outright.
And I don't believe it.
I had to check to see if this was written by an Iranian shilling for the Reformists in Iran.
"somewhere i read that V.P. Cheney said that this administration won't let iran get the bomb"
Pres. Bush said it too.
I believe him
I did.
I don't anymore.
BTW, I don't think it will be that long before we find out.
The best way to do it is to destroy the country financially. Squeeze them out of the international financial markets and watch them crumble. And if that doesn't work, bomb them back to the stone age.
Well anybody who posts here who actually thinks there's going to be a decisive victory in Iraq without some big changes in Iran are kidding themselves.It's equivalent to beating Mussolini in WWII without dealing with Hitler !!!
The Adminstration is compiling evidence seized and obtained regarding Iranian involvement in Iraq. It will be presented in the next few weeks. They are building a case to justify future action against Iran.
No, it won't be long
Yes, but all indications are that it is too little too late.
"This reminds me of the so called run up to the Iraq invasion"
I think it reminds everyone of that
You mean like North Korea?
I don't think it's too little, and as long as Pres. Bush is in the White House, it's not too late.
"I think it reminds everyone of that"
And that's the problem.
"anybody who posts here who actually thinks there's going to be a decisive victory in Iraq without some big changes in Iran are kidding themselves."
You're right.
ping
As for the editorial, I sympathize with the writer but I also know that Iran with a supply of Nukes means a Middle East loaded with Nukes and I see 2 outcomes - 1) US Old West - everybody armed - better be civilized, OR 2) My bomb is bigger than yours and I want to see fireworks - BOOM, BOOM, BOOM etc. Unfortunately I regard #2 as more likely with the local fanatics so prevalent.
Yes, it's a problem. And it's up to the Adminstration to use hindsite and handle this better.
Iran is NOT Iraq. The countries and circumstances are very different.
Apples and oranges.
This reads like something from the London Times, ca. 1938.
"Well anybody who posts here who actually thinks there's going to be a decisive victory in Iraq without some big changes in Iran are kidding themselves.It's equivalent to beating Mussolini in WWII without dealing with Hitler !!!"
I completely agree. The ironic thing is the antiwar folks have pushed us into a conflict with Iran. Withdrawal from Iraq is imminent due to the constant defeatism, and if we withdraw with Iran still a major player the Middle East will catch on fire.
I believe we must conduct an air campaign against Iran to stabilize Iraq and the region (for now). If the US is really on top of its game, that will be accompanied by an assisted coup.
This all goes beyond wishful thinking that sanctions will work. This silly editorial forgets or isn't aware that Saudi Arabia, Egypt Jordan and a few other States want the US to take out the weapons in Iran. Let's not forget that fact that we have two aircraft carriers sitting in the Persian Gulf, they aren't there for the fun of it. The little monkey man screaming about his weapons ability to take out large warships is clear evidence that Iran is getting a bit jumpy.
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