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Russia Can Be Part of the Answer on Iran By CHARLES SCHUMER
online.wsj.com ^ | * JUNE 3, 2008 | CHARLES SCHUMER

Posted on 11/09/2008 11:56:46 AM PST by Publius804

Russia Can Be Part of the Answer on Iran

By CHARLES SCHUMER

Last month, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that Iran was installing an additional 6,000 centrifuges at Iran's main nuclear enrichment complex. The Bush administration in turn needs to use every diplomatic tool in its arsenal to halt Tehran's development of nuclear weapons.

While the military option can never be taken off the table, most experts admit it would be unlikely to succeed. Because Iran has dispersed its nuclear facilities and buried some deep underground, an air strike will at best slow down, without preventing, its eventual creation of nuclear weapons. A military occupation might do so, but there are less costly solutions available.

Those solutions begin with understanding the fundamental instability of Iran's theocratic dictatorship. Iran is not a homogenous country. It is home to several major and traditionally competitive ethnic groups – Persians, Azeris, Kurds and Arabs. The predominant Iranian culture is mild and secular, not prone to religious fanaticism. Iranians have a great affinity for Western goods and ideas. Satellite TV is illegal in Iran, but there are an estimated five million satellite dishes in Iranian households. The most popular television station is not Al Jazeera nor even CNN, but MTV.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; Russia
KEYWORDS: 111th; bho2008; chuckschumer; iran; iraniannukes; missledefense; poland; proliferation; russia; schumer
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This is an older op-ed but a reminder of what could be coming with a Democratic foreign policy. Combining this with what Congressman Nadler said during the campaign one is beginning to see that the Democrats are going to sell out Eastern Europe in hopes the Russians will cooperate with us against Iran. These former Soviet states are every bit as important as any other allies we have and should not be sold down the river.
1 posted on 11/09/2008 11:56:46 AM PST by Publius804
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To: Publius804

bump


2 posted on 11/09/2008 11:58:42 AM PST by lowbridge
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To: Publius804

MTV? No wonder they hate us!


3 posted on 11/09/2008 12:00:26 PM PST by right way right (Do not mistake religion for God.)
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To: right way right

“MTV? No wonder they hate us!”

Yeah, that *hitty music makes me hate a bit.


4 posted on 11/09/2008 12:02:42 PM PST by Rick_Michael (Have no fear "Senator Government" is here)
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To: Publius804

HOLY CHUCKIE CHEESE.


5 posted on 11/09/2008 12:03:20 PM PST by hflynn ( The One is really The Number Two)
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To: Publius804

I know it sounds nasty, it depends how they hit Iran. Its boiling down to life or death for Israel.

That is what Iran is promising. Death. Unconditionally.

And Shumer is right, a surgical striking will merely slow them down. It won’t stop them.

Again, whatever happens to Israel, happens to Europe, and then America.


6 posted on 11/09/2008 12:08:43 PM PST by himno hero
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To: Publius804

Oh, sure. Russia has only been supporting Iran’s entire nuclear development program, Putin has invaded Georgia and is threatening to revive the Russian Empire, and Chuckie thinks Russia is gong to help US?

In a pig’s eye.


7 posted on 11/09/2008 12:10:18 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: hflynn

NO, HOLY KFC!

Did you hear KFC made a special snack pack offering to all Obama supporters?

.... all left wings and butts


8 posted on 11/09/2008 12:11:49 PM PST by himno hero
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To: himno hero

Schumer and Nadler want to hand over Poland and the rest of Eastern Europe to Russia - that is unacceptable.


9 posted on 11/09/2008 12:12:21 PM PST by Publius804
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To: Publius804

Ole Chucky boy is sure doing his part to make sure Ezekial 38-39 come to pass huh?


10 posted on 11/09/2008 12:16:02 PM PST by pctech
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To: Publius804

If Schumer’s “solutions” are put into place, we’re going to get hit big time AGAIN, and we’re going to have to go to war AGAIN. And this time the casualty count on our side wont be as small as it has been the past few years.


11 posted on 11/09/2008 12:28:43 PM PST by lowbridge
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To: Publius804
Schumer is flat out wrong.

Equal partner? With the Russians? Russia will never be equals with any one unless they find themselves at a disadvantage, then they want equality. In all of Russian history they have abused any opportunity or advantage they have ever had. Russians are the most imperialist nation ever and always will be.

Then, Schumer suggest we make Russia whole if they cooperate with us. He is suggesting no less than to pay tribute to Russia. Disgraceful.

Those "ineffective antinuclear missile defense sites" are manned by NATO troops, that is what has Russia so upset. Eastern Europe has chosen the West instead of Russia for defense. Russia is huimiliated, plain and simple.

Iran and Russia are doing too much business together for us to sway Russia away. Who else has the money and the need to buy Russian weapons/missiles and nuke technology?

In what other way can Russia counter our influence in the Middle East other than by supporting Iran?

12 posted on 11/09/2008 12:33:44 PM PST by gandalftb (America's highest office.....Patriot)
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To: Publius804

Chuckie the Pig and his bizarre foreign policy fantasies are an unfortunate harbinger of what we can expect for the next four years.


13 posted on 11/09/2008 12:35:44 PM PST by blau993 (Fight Gerbil Swarming)
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To: Publius804

Oh yeah Chuckie, lets really bend over for Putin.


14 posted on 11/09/2008 12:43:27 PM PST by Taichi (Certe, toto, sentio nos in kansate non iam adesse)
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To: himno hero

Falling oil prices are our friend and Iran’s nightmare. A surgical strike by the Israelis will put Iranian leaders in the position of maintaining their position by keeping the populace under control via infrastructure projects, supporting Hamas and Hezzbollah, or continuing their work on nuclear weapons.

They can’t fund everything simultaneously as they did in the past. Setting back the nuclear program requires the mullahs to make greater cutbacks in their other programs to regain what was destroyed. Oil was below $60/bbl this past week and will probably see $40/bbl early next year.

The key is to inflict enough damage on the nuclear program to make recovery difficult and possibly hazardous to the mullah’s political survival. My guess is that Iran’s oil income is down about 50% to 60% already. This is the ideal time economically to attack the nuclear facilities.


15 posted on 11/09/2008 12:51:19 PM PST by meatloaf
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To: Publius804
Russia Can Be Part of the Answer on Iran By CHARLES SCHUMER

Chuckie, Russia is the largest part of the problem. They have no intention of helping us over Iran.

16 posted on 11/09/2008 1:04:31 PM PST by SteamShovel (Global Warming, the New Patriotism)
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To: Publius804
All Obama has to do is "discover" that Iran has a bomb and declare it to have been completed or made inevitable under the Bush Administration. He then elicits Putin's help in making American foreign policy compatible with Russian.

Everyone who still has a free voice in America will proclaim Obama a genius. Easy.

17 posted on 11/09/2008 1:14:47 PM PST by JimSEA (just another liberal-bashing fearmonger)
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To: Publius804

IMO, the real threat IS Russia. Why does it even matter if Iran has nukes or not, as long as Russia has enough for the both of them.


18 posted on 11/09/2008 4:33:20 PM PST by maclay (We've been Baracked)
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To: Publius804
First, we must treat Russia as an equal partner when it comes to policy in the Caspian Sea region, recognizing Russia's traditional role in the region. Second, we must offer to make Russia whole if it joins in our Iranian boycott and forgoes trade revenues with Iran.

In other words, sit back and let Russia annex Georgia and the rest of the post-soviet states around the Caspian. Schumer is a Quisling.
19 posted on 11/09/2008 6:33:22 PM PST by dr_who
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To: dr_who

So, Schumer, maybe you want to help America with a little ‘perestroika’ also?
Rush needs to start with the Gorbasms again


20 posted on 11/09/2008 6:37:43 PM PST by weston (As far as I am concerned, it's Christ or nothing)
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