George F. Will is showing his isolationism proudly. I see it as a lack of faith in America's ideological strengths. We're "just a powerful nation" to him. Nothing more, nothing less.
But the American Revolution is a billion times more powerful than Mao's agrarian revolution, the Soviet empire, and Islamism put together. Why? Because it embodies human freedom in law, reason, and economic terms. It makes no promises except equality before the law and the rights of conscience.
Nothing could be more powerful, because it is simple: freedom is what every human being wants, and any honest human being knows that neither the state nor religion can provide it in any collectivist sense. Happiness and responsibility come from within.
George Will needs to take a civics refresher. His faith in the American dream is weakening.
Iran Says U.S. Should Expand Its Crackdown on MKO (MEK) in Iraq
TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamidreza Asefi said on Monday that the closure of Mujahedeen Khalq Organization (MKO) offices in the U.S. is a positive sign but Washington should expand its crackdown on this terrorist group to other places including Iraq.
“The U.S. has acted on the basis of its responsibilities and naturally they should do this and what the U.S. has done is a positive step but it should be expanded to every where including Iraq,” Asefi told a regular press briefing.
When asked whether the closure of MKO offices in the U.S. could serve as a stepping stone for establishing ties between Tehran and Washington Asefi said every thing depends on the U.S. policy toward Iran.
If a positive change happens in the U.S. officials’ behavior toward Iran then the conditions would naturally change in Iran, Foreign Ministry official told reporters.
The United States on Friday shut down the offices of the political wing of the Mujahedeen Kalq Organization, closing a loophole that had allowed the group to operate despite being designated a terrorist organization.
State, Treasury and Justice departments closed the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), placing notices on its doors declaring that it was now banned, officials said.
U.S. federal agents acted after Secretary of State Colin Powell clarified earlier terrorist designations of the NCRI's parent, the Mujahadeen Khalq Organization, they said.
The order also freezes the group's U.S. assets and bars U.S. citizens from making contributions to it, the officials said as quoted by AFP.
The U.S. move against the MKO follows a similar crackdown on the group in France, where police raided their headquarters in a Paris suburb in June, arresting scores of people.
Foreign Ministry spokesman also said Iran believes that the security of the Caspian Sea can only be guaranteed by the cooperation of the littoral states without the presence of foreigners.
“We believe that the security of Caspian states can be protected only through more regional cooperation and the presence of foreign troops would only complicate the situation,” Asefi said.
Asefi said Iran has asked explanation from Baku about a joint military maneuver between Azerbaijan and U.S. in the Caspian Sea.
MP Hamid-Reza Hajbabaei said on Saturday that the U.S. has entered the territorial waters of the five littoral states in its joint military maneuver with Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea.
He added that as long as there is no legal regime to divide the sea, the United States is violating the littoral states’ borders.
Hajbabaei, a member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told the Mehr News Agency that Azerbaijan is opposed to an equal division of the Caspian Sea, saying that Azerbaijan is using Washington’s presence in the area to force Russia and Iran to accept the views of Azeri officials on the establishment of the Caspian legal regime.
On the relations between Iran and Iraq Foreign Ministry spokesman said during a recent visit of Iranian delegation to Baghdad different subjects were discussed between the sides in which the Iraqi officials expressed their willingness to expand relations with Iran.
During this visit it was agreed that an Iraqi delegation to visit Iran but no date has yet been set for the travel, he told reporters.
During the visit of Iranian delegation to Iraq the two sides discussed bilateral cooperation in areas of border security, the return of Iraqi refugees, the visit of Iranian pilgrims to holy sites in Iraq, trade ties and etc.
The visit of Iranian delegation to Baghdad received an international attention and many international analysts interpreted it as a preliminary step by Tehran to recognize the Iraqi Governing Council.
The Iranian delegation held talks with some members of the Iraqi Governing Council and the two sides become aware of each other’s views.
Iran welcomed the overthrow of the previous Iraqi regime under Saddam Hussein but it has called for the speedy withdrawal of occupying forces from Iraq and the establishment of democratic government by the Iraqi people.
Saddam Hussein launched a massive military invasion against Iran in 1980 which lasted until 1988 which brought about many human and material damages for both countries.
http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=8/19/03&Cat=2&Num=018 Comment: Tehran Times is a conservative paper in Iran.