Posted on 09/04/2012 12:39:46 AM PDT by Eleutheria5
Iran’s leadership has publicly stated that it would crush any Israeli offensive against its nuclear facilities, but Iran’s ordinary citizens appear to feel otherwise, Channel 10 News reported on Monday.
The channel spoke with several Iranian citizens who, without revealing their identities, said that there is great tension and fear among Iranians over a possible war with Israel.
“The Iranians understand their current president says terrible things about Israel,” said one Iranian, a resident of Bushehr. “You can be sure that not all Iranians agree with the behavior of their leaders.”
The Iranian, who was identified as H., admitted that, contrary to the declarations of Iran’s leaders, the West's harsh sanctions against the Islamic Republic have severely hurt innocent civilians. “There are a lot of poor people who need help, they work day and night to survive. Please, do not attack us,” he said.
Although the Bushehr reactor is considered to be less alarming to the West, H. claimed that local residents were very worried about their fate should Israel attack Iran. “If war breaks out, Bushehr will be perhaps the most dangerous place in the Middle East,” he said.
Another citizen from northern Iran told Channel 10, “This is not a conflict or dispute between Israel and Iran, but only between the countries’ two governments.”
Some citizens also claimed that the Iranian nuclear program is not necessarily intended to harm Israel. "We are surrounded by Arabs who hate us," said A., a resident of Tehran. "....
(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
>>>>muhammad’s tomb in Medina.
Pith be upon it.
Iran is a geographically big country. Israel is small. Two fission weapons (particularly if they put cobalt casings on them), delivered to Haifa and Jerusalem, would create enough fallout to make Israel nonviable over the long term.
And does anyone doubt the incompetence of the Iranian military? Plus, what's going to happen when they lob a missle at the naval base in Bahrain or outside of Kandahar or at an aircraft carrier? Big Ears Obama has told Iran, the US is not going to back the Israeli attack, so don't hit us. Iran has answered by bitch-slapping Larry Sinclair's love buddy.
Do you think Americans are going to rally around Obama? I don't. I think they'll rally around the military, but not the Muslim appeaser Obama.
But that's just MHO.
hardly -- it could be taken on by the Pakis.
That’s not correct. The Saudis when they came to power (with the help of the British) destroyed the tombs of the prophet’s successors. The tomb itself is not allowed to be a site of veneration by the Wahabbi authorities (as it would be to Sufis).
>>>”Attacking Iran may be necessary to stop the Irani govt getting the bbombb, but it will strengthen the hands of the regime (showing this as “foreigners attacking us”) which are weakened due to the trade sanctions”<<<
I disagree. Back in the early yrs of revolution i.e. 1980s, while Khomeini was alive, he used the war with Iraq, which Khomeini deliberately prolonged after 2 yrs by refusing Saddam’s offer of truce, just to consolidate his revolution, your reasoning applied, but no longer and not now.
Besides, Khomeini was much more of a charismatic leader, or perceived as such, than Khamenei (present supreme leader) is or will ever be.
The socalled “Islamic (Khomeinist) Revolution” is mostly dead in Iran with the new generations. They will not fight for the mullahs.
Of course, a good majority fear for their lives, who wouldn’t in that situation?! Particularly if you know that all this “we’ll kill Israel, etc..” is a whole lot of hot air, and that it is bound to get a 1000 times uglier than the war with Iraq!
As for Sanctions hurting the civilians, they are. Much more than they are hurting the regime. But, the poor state of economy in Iran is not to be blamed on foreign sanctions. It is the result of the regime’s incompetence. That incompetence is quite obvious to a good portion of the population.
The most likely scenario in the case of an attack will be that the mullahs or top regime officials will escape from Iran. They’ve had the opportunity for yrs now to have an exit plan and they do have one.
Of course, I anticipate attacks on American and Israeli interests, etc... from OUTSIDE Iran & not by “conventional” means.
The mullahs’ regime does & will always have support from a portion of the population (e.g. bassijis), but not enough to win a war, and frankly those who support & fight for the mullahs should be eliminated anyway. I believe they will be if not directly by an Israeli attack, then by other Iranians. There are a lot of old scores to be settled with mullahs & their lackeys.
Iranians did have a choice and played a role in bringing Khomeini to power, no doubt whatsoever. At least those who directly or indirectly, through ignorance, idealism or whatever, played an active part. The older generation must accept full responsibility for their actions.
However, had Carter administration and certain other foreign govts at the time, including the British & French, not supported Khomeini & his “ISLAMIC revolution”, it would have been, most definitely, stillborn.
Now compare that to the support that the same mentioned govts & 0bama Didn’t give to those Iranians who protested in 2009.
At any rate, the events leading to 1979 in Iran were well planned & orchestrated by many different grps inside & outside Iran. We have not seen anything similar so far, and most likely won’t in the near future.
>>>”The Iranian wussies couldn’t beat the Iraqis in a 10-year war.”<<<
There seems to be a distinct misconception about the 8 yr Iran-Iraq war (not 10 yrs), which I often read on FR.
Facts are:
1. Iraq (Saddam) attack Iran, not the reverse, several months after Khomeini seized power in Iran.
2. Saddam hated Khomeini, on ideological grounds, ever since the yrs that Khomeini spent in exile in Iraq, before Saddam became president of Iraq.
3. Saddam offered a truce to Khomeini after 2 yrs of war, because of high casualties on both sides, but also because Saddam was not winning.
But Khomeini refused point blank, deliberately extended the war by another 4 yrs, and used the war with Iraq to consolidate his revolution in Iran.
4. The number of Western & Arab govts, including the US, which morally, financially and militarily (by selling weapons) supported Iraq clearly outnumbered the ones which actually helped the Khomeinist regime (Iran).
Actually, a few tried to cash in on the conflict & sold weapons both to Iran & Iraq. For example, where do we think Saddam got his biological & chemical weapons from, which he used against the Iranians & the Kurds? Answer: France!
5. When did Israel bomb Osirak nuclear plant in Iraq? Answer: in 1981, following the first semi-successful attempt by the Islamic Republic (Iranian) Air Force under mullahs’ command. Israel then finished the job, and whether intended or not helped the mullahs’ regime.
6. The official results of the Iran-Iraq war at the end of 8 yrs was a draw (stalemate).
However, the Iranians in a sense did win. Since Saddam’s forces actually were pushed back, and withdrew from all Iranian territories, which they were occupying close to the border of Iraq.
In conclusion, given the number of Competent, well-trained Iranian military personnel and officers that Khomeini executed immediately upon his arrival in Iran, as well as all the other above mentioned points, I think the Iranians still did a pretty good job against Saddam.
‘Course the other outcome so far is that Saddam is dead, and the mullahs’ regime is still very much alive & kicking & meddling in post-Saddam Iraq.
typo:
by another 4 yrs = 6 yrs..
True, but the present-day capabilities of the Iranian military leave a lot to be desired.
Was responding to bjorn14’s comment about Iran-Iraq war, as quoted. Not the capability of the Mullahs today.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.