Posted on 08/19/2008 4:16:58 PM PDT by SJackson
Saudi Columnist: Bomb Iran Now, Let Chips Fall Where They May
In his August 4, 2008 column in the liberal Arab e-journal Elaph, Saudi columnist Saleh Al-Rashed argued that the Gulf states should urge the West to attack Iran before it acquires nuclear weapons.
Following are excerpts from the column: [1]
"'One cannot avoid the inevitable' - this adage came to mind when I read the pronouncement by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Mohammad 'Ali Ja'fari, who said: 'My country is easily capable of closing the Straits of Hormuz, the main passageway for oil freighters, if the country is attacked due to its nuclear program.'
"In my estimation, confronting this country, which is trying to gain the time necessary to acquire nuclear weapons, is unavoidable. The possession of nuclear weapons by a state like Iran, which is ideological to the core, is more or less like Osama bin Laden having a nuclear bomb. They are two of a kind. Despite the difference in their turbans and in their religious beliefs, the end result is the same.
"Perhaps it is our bad luck that we [i.e. Saudi Arabia] and the Gulf states would be the first to suffer from a military confrontation with Iran and from its response, and the problem would become even more grave if Iran succeeded in closing the Straits of Hormuz, as the IRGC commander threatened. But our situation with Iran is like that of the sick man who refuses to have his illness treated with cauterization. Yes, the pain of the burning is horrible, but this malady can only be treated through this military confrontation -cauterization.
"History has taught us that ideological countries only pay heed to victory over their ideology… They never accept any halfway situation, even when they find themselves on the brink of disaster."
"Confrontation Is The Solution"; "The Absolute Priority Must Be Our Strategic Security in the Gulf"
"Confrontation is the solution, and there is no solution but confrontation. The game of the carrot and the stick played by the U.S. and E.U. will be to no avail.
"At present, we are suffering from two things: Iran's attempts [to gain] regional hegemony, and its attempts to impose its influence via its sectarian allies - the fifth column of Arab Shi'ite fundamentalists. Imagine what Iran's influence, hegemony, and fifth column would be like if Iran had a nuclear bomb.
"Perhaps it is a strange coincidence that, this time around, our strategic interests coincide with those of Israel. The regime of the mullahs in Iran is our enemy, and at the same time it is an enemy not just of Israel, but of world peace and security.
"I know that the Arab demagogues stand together indiscriminately with anyone who is against Israel and America. But we need to not be swept away by these demagogues as we were in the past. This time, the absolute priority must be our strategic security in the Gulf, which is threatened by Iran - even if this comes at the expense of the Palestinian cause.
"In politics, nothing prevents you from allying with the devil for the sake of your interests. This is what confronting the Iranian danger - which is close - demands of us. This issue, in my estimation, cannot suffer delay or hesitation. Every passing day benefits Iran.
"Thus, we need to push the world powers, and especially the U.S. and the E.U., towards military confrontation to neutralize the Iranian enemy, whatever the cost, before the nuclear bomb makes it too late - even if it is against the will of the Arabs of the north."
[1] www.elaph.com, August 4, 2008.
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Saudi neocon.
well said, interesting that Iran’s neighbors don’t trust them either.
There may be a double-agenda here?
1) Saudi Arabia’s survival overall
2) The old Sunni / Shia thing gonna raise its very ugly head if Iran goes nuclear?
Yes / No?
ITYS....
Why do the Infidels do the dirty work once again?
I'll tell you why, the Infidel will be killed, while the Muslim lands sit back and laugh at us, once more,,,
For doing the job our "Muslim friends" won't do.
Just my opinion.
Sooner is better than later, I agree. The article nailed it and so did you. Now, if WE listen to both of you, we will be on the right track.
Then shouldn’t Iran’s neighbors do something about Iran?
Don’t they carry some responsibility here?
That's my question too. What's wrong with the Muslim nations policing their own?
How 'bout the Saudi's do some heavy lifting for a change? "The West" is sick and tired of cleaning up the Saudi-induced islamist hornets nests.
You’d think, if it’s such a bad neighborhood the neighborhood watch would address those issues instead of expecting others to do their heavy lifting like we did when Saddam invaded Kuwait in the early 90s.
"When they send one of yours (Georgia) to the hospital, you send one of theirs to the morgue..."
So one would think.
yea, let Israel do the dirty work and then condemn the hell out of them.
Points for honesty. The Saudis, like all of Iran’s neighbors, are terrified at the thought of the Ayatollahs with nuclear weapons.
I think we’re entering a very dangerous period these next 6 months. Pooty-Poot is no doubt taking advantage of the election and I’m sure he has no fear of Obamessiah at all.
I may be wrong, but I’m suggesting people get about 30 days food and water and a can opener. I’m more concerned now than I ever was about Y2K which was nothing. If I’m wrong, you can always give it away to church or other charity and it doesn’t cost much money.
“The return of proxy warfare. In addition to threatening its neighbors (the Saudis and Egyptians seem particularly unnerved), Iran is also Putin’s favorite hand-puppet.”
I suspect the Iranian border is where Russia is ultimately headed as they absorb Georgia (next Armenia and Azerbijan). Eventual control of the Straits of Hormuz and the majority of the world’s energy supply would allow them to blackmail countries into submission.
I think you are right. Thanks for the heads up.
I’ve heard it said in more than one place that Iran is using the destruction of Israel as a smokescreen. Their true goal is to dominate their traditional Arab enemy, the oil market, and the entire region.
If they can go nuclear, they have a real shot at regional dominance. Particularly with their Soviet friends.
I would have agreed with you, a short time ago, but I am starting to think Putin may have bitten off more than Russia can chew.
Not so much the, “Oh wow, look even S.A. is worried.”
Why indeed is a great question. Why us, why the West?
This is just more islamic double speak. It rings insincere and treacherous.
Screw the Saudi’s. weve been doing their dirty work for longer than a decade.
Something tells me that when the author writes about taking on Iran, its not him ir his countrymen that he is suggesting that should be taking casualties. Thats for the “evil Jews” and the “Great Satan America.” Sorry but if Iran’s that great a threat to Saudia Arabia, its time for them to step up to the plate.
Great post. OUTSTANDING thread. BTTT!
As the Saudi King said during the First Gulf War, “I have my Christian Soldiers...”
Didn't buy toilet paper for a year, Ha ha.
My kids still tease me about it, but I've lived overseas where shortages occur, so Life has taught me to be prepared.
How many troops does Saudi have? I know they have nice airbases we left them.
As for Russia....I heard they can’t “retreat” back to their lines because most of their equipment has failed and the need to fix it to get back. I doubt they are going to make a hard charge south.
GWI was in 1991. Stationing our troops in the Kingdom during that conflict set the stage for Bin Ladin to come after the US.
As far as the Russians and their lousy equipment, it may be precisely that weakness which could lead to a fallback on their NBC arsenal.
I'm with the posters who are worried for what the next few months bring. I'm also worried about cyberwarfare, assymetrical warfare and economic warfare, all of which could be employed by a weakened Russia and an opportunistic China.
As for the Saudis, I still maintain that we bombed the wrong country after 9-11. The Saudis infiltration of our media, governing elites, universities and Schools of Middle Eastern Studies is far more insidious over the long run than what Al Qaeda can do.
I hate their supercilliousness and their lack of reciprocity.
I would like the US to implement a policy of Reciprocity with respect to Muslims and Saudi Arabia: You can't build mosques or Muslim schools here until we can do the same in your countries.
And get your women out of those ridiculous costumes and control your own dirty minds, freakin' perverts.
Any more than they took on Sadaam twice. It's nice on the Riviera most times of the year.
mass55th ,
The Master does not do the work of the slave.
Yet, as “Liberal” as the Saudi writer is, at its core, there is little difference in the form of government between Saudi Arabia and Iran - both run by a select monopoly of autocrats.
And, the Wahabi form of Islam in Saudi Arabia is the primary form of Islam preached in the Saudi funded Madrassas across the Middle East, that create so many mush-for-brains cannon-fodder-recruits for Al Queda.
So, the contest for supremacy over Islam - the contest between the Saudi-Wahabis and the Iranian-Shia - is not a race we in the west have any dog in.
I imagine much of Sunni “support” for the west, or Israel, to “take out” Iran’s nukes is completely self-serving - hoping we will do their dirty work for them. Won’t be the first time.
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