Posted on 09/06/2004 10:58:13 AM PDT by jim macomber
The mullahs are perhaps trying to strengthen support at home by provoking an attack by the US in which the motives for such an attack are muddied by the use of Iranian proxies.
To get the $100 billion aid package that comes after the war.
Links? Serious charges, need documentation.
Thay have a death wish!
bump
Because every time someone provoked us for the last 30 years we ran. Even the events after Sep 11 are not much of an exception: one half of the country is opposed to the war. Every time they challenge us and we do not provide a vigorous response (and we would not go to war with Iran any time soon precisely because of our internal weakness), that weakness comes to the surface. We become even more weak, and more of our foes are encouraged. This is a very intelligent strategy of gradual weakening.
Nobody challenges a strong opponent --- and that is the real answer.
I was surprised to even see the question asked here, as I believed this to be so obvious as to be in general acceptance.
Muslims have few heroes. They were handed their ass in three wars with Israel, and in turn developed the martyr strategy to both redirect attention away from the lavish lifestyles of the ruling classes, and to assuage damaged pride. The ideas have taken root to the effect that many, including Bin Laden himself, believe that terrorist attacks, which amount to no more than a pinprick on the global strategic scale, can actually achieve a Muslim victory.
In any event, any person or entity who stands up to the United States, Israel, western cultures, or the UN, any of those who supported Israel in any way and "robbed the Muslims of their god given victory", is afforded much status and sympathy by the general Muslim population.
Iran has to generate as much of this kind of sympathy now as is possible, for two interrelated reasons. One, because they know thatr Bush cannot react right now, not for lack of troops, but to avoid the warmonger label and a firestorm of controversy just before the election. Two, in hopes of swinging the election to kerry if Bush so much as utters a hostile word.
That Bush fully understands this is evident from the restraint shown so far. Iran has trained suicide bombers and deployed them to Iraq, we have many of them in custody, and they announced to the world that they were doing so.
No response from Bush.
Iran has funded Moqtada al Sadr, no response from Bush.
Six hundred of Al Qaeda's people are in Iran, congregated at the nuclear sites Iran bulldozed over to hide, no response from Bush.
Iran has openly and directly threatened military action against the US and against Israel, right up to and including massing four divisions on the Iraq/Iran border above Khorramshar, no response from Bush.
Shiploads of Iranian missiles headed for Israel, no response from Bush.
You can draw one of two conclusions. That Bush is blissfully unaware of any issue involving Iran, or that he has a plan of his own and isn't talking about it.
An old saw, about working men in general, when they're complaining, all is well. When they go silent, watch out.
Bush isn't talking, because he's too busy. Afghanistan fell, Iraq fell, and the troops for Iran are even now being drawn down from across the globe.
Unrealized to just about all involved, the Al Qaeda/Iran/Saudi billionaire alliance is working themselves into a corner. I don't know who's formulating policy on the enemy side, but it certainly isn't a general or anyone else who can read a map.
Iran is currently surrounded on three sides, west by US forces in Turkey, Iraq and the Persion Gulf, south by US Naval forces in the Arabian Sea, and east by US forces in Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. This is no accident. Afghanistan went first after 9/11 only because of the American public's perception that Bin Laden and Al Qaeda's headquarters were there. Iraq, while an attractive target on it's own, was strategically only a stepping stone. You can't drive on Tehran with 23 unopposed Iraqi divisions on your left flank. Not while Saddam's in power.
Who has been a state sponsor of terrorism for more than three decades, running both Hezbollah and Hamas, executing terrorist operations in Israel, Syria, Saudi Arabia, South America, Europe, and now Iraq< housing Imad Mugniyah until only recently, providing safe haven for Al Qaeda?
Who has demonstrated chemical and biological weapons programs in effect right now today?
Who has functioning nuclear reactors, heavy water plants, enrichment programs?
What countries fit the above description, and are controlled by an admittedly hardline Islamist government, and run their people out in the streets at least twice a year to chant "Death to America"?
Only one country fits this bill, and none of the above information is new or astonishing. Every piece of the puzzle was in place long before 9/11, and was certainly available to any strategist planning a Global War on Terror in the days after 9/11.
Iran is and always has been HVT Number One, since no later than 9/13. Understanding this, just about every question relating to the war in Iraq is answered.
Militarily, it's always been Iran.
When Tehran falls, Damascus will follow within weeks, perhaps even hours. Syria will be geographically, economically, militarily, and politically isolated on a global scale. The flip-flop will make a combined Kerry and Qadaffi look like pillars of stability, and then...
The....bank.....stands alone, with the oil undamaged.
But militarily, Iran has made an absolutely devastating mistake. The kind of mistake that will turn a rout, like Iraq, into a devastation, a killed, or captured and interrogated to the very last man final defeat.
By their own hand, the absolute last avenue for escape is now closed, or soon will be, by a force so angered by the deliberate, preplanned, slaughter of its children that it really doesn't even know its angry yet, not to any degree even approaching what the rage will become over the next days and weeks.
Iran is now completely and totally surrounded.
There is no place left to run.
P.S.
When the cornered animal realizes that it is cornered....
Islam worships death.
They think in massive wipe out directed at them by the most wonderful and godly nation on the face of the earth, the USA, that Allah would back them in power, and wipe out who they believe is the great satan.
they don't hope it.
they believe it.
they believe that the islamessiah will come back and fry americans into the very pit of hell, and exalt the UMMAH.
little do they know, that the UMMAH is nothing more than a crapper... allah has every nation on earth dump on them, and they are full of the filth that every other nation of the planet rejects... the arab "nation" is a crapper. f.o.s.
But they TRULY believe that Allah is going to wipe us out for slapping them down. He won't.
In fact I rather expect the REAL God, will be happy to see the people on this planet defend themselves against religious nuts who want to shoot little kids in the back for the glory of a false God... who the arabs have named allah... whose work we recognise as that of none other than SATAN himself.
that is why they want to provoke us. THEY think if enough of them fry, bleed or burn to death allah will rise up in their defense. It's one of their religious ceremonies, where they beat themselves bloody for the purpose of moral redemption from Allah. They do it every year.
It is ceremony of much blood. And it is supplemented year round by blown up jews, christians and other religions and peoples... blood is delicious in their culture.
They are idiots. They wanna be martyrs. We should oblige them.
when cornered and face with death?
I have seen animals crap themselves and urinate uncontrollably.
we are in the crap stage.
Iran is dead. The democrats just haven't realized it yet.
75 days from now, it will be more apparent.
I remember when some said, "Iran will fall within weeks of Iraq" . . . . one of the bargains of time to invade is time to prepare.
I'll hold that Russia will find enough evidence in Beslan to provide logistical basing for the upcoming US operation.
Jeffers had some interesting theories.
You made a timely remark about the Russian military since the events in Beslan, etc.. Have you visited the sites that have discussed since at least June 2004, the placement of 40,000 Russian troops in Iraq in October or Nobember.
Given US intentions about future troop deployments and the above, one has to wonder, and presents interesting angles to Jeffers comments.
No question about the outcome, but still, it's not a good idea to corner an animal without both realizing that you have cornered it, and what the implications of that are.
The last grizzly attack in Colorado happened not because Jim Wiesman cornered the bear, it happened because unbeknownst to Jim, he and his partner's actions combined with the terrain to corner the bear.
Those "Silkworms" are slow and old, but a whole bunch of them could easily saturate a lone Aegis platform.
Thank you so much for your post, question and ping! If Iran is baiting for a response in this terrorist act, it would be from Russia primarily. And that is illogical.
I think several of the replies are correct. It's not just one reason.
For now, think of it as "rope-a-dope" technique, as far as U.S. response/or not goes. And I hope there's NOT a response for a little while. From anyone.
As I understand it, Osama Bin Laden wanted a huge response from the US, so that the entire Muslim world would be a target of the US and all Muslims would rise up against the US.
He was very disappointed that our response was surgical in nature, taking out specific terrorists and terror enabling governments.
I would imagine Iran is acting the way it is because of the "Strong Horse" argument and also because they want to be proactive in their fight with the US, rather than wait to be destroyed at a time of Uncle Sam's choosing. However, if I live to be 1000, I'll never understand the Jihadists.
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