Behind Iran's open threat to Israel

The American Thinker ^ | October 28, 2005 | Thomas Lifson

[oldtimer2]

Behind Iran's open threat to Israel

Amir Taheri writes in the New York Post about what may lie behind Iran President Ahmadinejad’s naked threat to obliterate Isarel:

Ahmadinejad has gone several steps further — presenting the destruction of Israel as a major goal of his government. Why?

One reason may be his desire to distance himself as far as possible from his predecessor, Muhammad Khatami, and from Hashemi Rafsanjani, the powerful mullah-cum-businessman who still heads a key faction within the regime.

Ahmadinejad has criticized the “softness” of Khatami and his mentor Rafsanjani, which led to “a decline in revolutionary spirit.” Thus the new stand on Israel may be part of a package of measures to revive the regime’s original radical message.

Another reason may be Ahmadinejad’s belief that Israel is preparing to attack Iran’s nuclear sites as part of a broader U.S. plan against the Islamic Republic. He may thus be trying to mobilize Iranian and Arab public opinion for the coming showdown.

But the real reason for Ahmadinejad’s Jihadist outburst may well be his deep conviction that it is the historic mission of the Islamic Republic to lead the Muslim world in a “war of civilization” against the West led by the United States. One of the first battlegrounds of such a war would be Israel.

Understanding the enemy is the first step in defeating him. The mullahs must be overthrown. That is far preferable to a military attack by Israel or others, to remove nuclear weapons from the Iranian arsenal. But either is preferable to enduring a nuclear attack aimed at the stated aim of the President of the Islamic Republic.

Thomas Lifson 10 28 05

[oldtimer2]

Thomas Lifson is commenting on Amir Taheri's article about Iran's threat to destroy Israel. He is, I think right that we need to stop Iran somehow. If we can not encourage the overthrow of the mullahs, we may have to take military action, or see the entire world explode.

[wny]

Israel in 7.

[r9etb]

Nope. It's much simpler than this: Iran's populace is getting increasingly dissatisfied and the mullah government is on the verge of collapse.

The usual way for tyrannies to deal with such things is to a) repress the population (which is being done by instituting new Taliban-like rules); and b) to unite the populace against an external enemy, and Israel is the natural choice.

Straightforward stuff.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Yup. See Cuba, North Korea, and now, Venezuela.

[Personal Responsibility]

Israel in 7.

I like Iran to win a game, maybe two. No way it goes seven though.

[claudiustg]

The Iranians are busy sighning their own death warrant. The Israelis do not see the Iranians as paper tigers. Nor do they plan to rely on MAD. They'll strike soon in my opinion.

[kromike]

I would agree.

For the mullah mouth-foamers, I have a "stupid" question...

Let me see if I have this straight. You miserable excuses want Israel of your precious "Muslim" lands. Now, we know that you can't defeath Israel with normal, conventional military and arms. That leaves only your new play toys: nuclear WMDs.

Now, you further claim that this is for the Palestinian cause. Disregarding the obvious fact that Palestinians have been kicked out of every established Muslim country, you towel-heads are implying the use of nuclear retaliation.

In case you 7th-century retards haven't learned lately, nuclear radiation hangs around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. So, what good is it to irradiate real estate that no one will be able to use? Further, you're going to poison the nearby environment for all of your so-called Muslim brothers. Again, what's the point?

So, killing every Israeli citizen might achieve your short-term goals, but your long-term strategy isn't thought-out very well. Which confirms what I've believed all along:

You girly-men sickos are pretty effin' stupid...

[Blue State Insurgent]

Was the election of Ahmadinejad the Iranian people's cry for help?

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

INTERNET-HAGANAH.US: "LORAL SKYNET AND THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN" (October 28, 2005)

JIHAD WATCH.org (ASIA TIMES): "Ahmadinejad off the deep end: 'I say accomplishment of a world without America and Israel is both possible and feasible'" (October 27, 2005)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: Ramallah, West Bank - "IRAN LEADER PREDICTS ISRAEL'S DEMISE" by Joshua Mitnick (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday predicted a wave of Palestinian attacks that would erase Israel "from the face of the Islamic world," just hours before a suicide bomber killed five Israelis in a marketplace. The attack, which wounded about 30, also made a mockery of a major speech by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who appealed in Ramallah yesterday for an end to attacks that he said were undermining attempts to establish a Palestinian state.") (October 27, 2005)

JIHAD WATCH.org (TheAustralian.news.com.au): "IRAN 'LETS AL-QAEDA ROAM FREE'" (October 27, 2005)

OnlineJihad.Blogspot.com: - Translating and Analyzing Jihadist Propaganda: "TEEN SUICIDE BOMBER - NATIONAL SYMBOL OF IRAN" (October 24, 2005)

MEMRI.org: "IRAN"

THE COUNTERTERRORISM BLOG: "SWISS BANK UBS ALLEGEDLY LAUNDERED $5 BILLION FOR CUBA, IRAN AND LIBYA" (October 16, 2005)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "IRANIAN MILITANTS IN POWER STIR FEARS" by Bill Gertz (October 14, 2005)

INA TODAY.com - INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANALYSIS TODAY by Toby Westerman: "'CHE,' IRAN, AND THE BOMB" (October 13, 2005)

FrontPageMagazine.com: "FIDEL'S EXECUTIONER" by Humberto Fontova (October 14, 2005)

[Teófilo]

From the pages of Vivificat!

Iranian President Suffering from Foot-in-Mouth Disease

Recent march in Tehran showed hundreds of thousands already afflicted.

Folks, according to AP, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (pictured right) stood fast behind his recent assertion that Israel should be wiped off the map and repeated the call during the nationwide protests Friday, the Muslim day of prayer. He joined more than a million demonstrators who flooded the streets of the capital and other major cities Friday to back his call for the destruction of the Jewish state.

Commentary. And they will listen, too, particularly those nasty boys from Hezbollah, who might leave their political power building in Lebanon to once again come to hound Israel and push the Jews to the sea.

I'll be facetious and caustic now, for I have a better idea and I'm also in that kind of mood. Why not wipe out Iran instead? Wouldn't it be better for the whole world destroy this "holy order" of mullahs and ayatollahs and neutralize the terror they spread, bury their rhetoric, and purge their ambitions for regional or world domination?

I think the world would be better off without Iran, than without Israel. At least Israel doesn't seem to be threatening to unleash any nuclear holocaust--pun definitely not intended--except against those who dare attack them in this manner. Israel has never warred against Iran since biblical times, but Iran has done more than its share against Israel via its terrorist proxies. What they intend to do with nuclear weapons once they manufacture them takes no wild guess.

So, what says you, Mr. Ahmadinejad? Would you like your country to become the object of a call for its anihilation? I bet you wouldn't. Then don't do it yourself! Shut your trap up. Get treatment for your unfortunate disease and while you're at it, lay off on the hate, OK? It moves peace-loving people everywhere to gag--except for fanatics such as yourself, who roll on the ground with glee and anticipation of forthcoming death and destruction.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

..........................................

[bill1952]

Iran's populace is getting increasingly dissatisfied and the mullah government is on the verge of collapse

Baloney. Please present facts to support contention that the Government is "on the verge of collapse."

To the contrary, they are consolidating power.

The Mullahs will be sitting there, in power, long after you and I are dead, unless we take action to remove them by force.

Wanting the general populace there to overthrow the rule of the islamic government is a nice fantasy.

[Slings and Arrows]

Behind Iran's open threat to Israel

It's a cry for help. I know just the therapy:

[r9etb]

1. There are frequent reports of unrest and demonstrations.

2. The Taliban-like crackdown by the government is directed at a populace that wasn't acting "Islamic enough."

3. This particular threat is proof in its own right: there's no sense to it except as something to take the Iran's populations minds off of...

4. There are reports of impending economic collapse (in an oil-rich country!), and cash flight among Iran's elite to avoid it.

5. I have no doubt that the US is working covertly to destabilize the Iranian government.

6. They can see what's happening in Iraq.

We'll see if you're right or I am. I think I'm closer than you are.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Michael Savage was talking about this. Said the Republicans-Democrats "na-na-na-na" pales in comparison to this.

Tehran should be blown off the map.

[rang1995]

here on FR all i hear is "the students, the students,wait for the student revolution"-i have been waiting too long.i am afraid the only thing iran will understand is the Israeli air force

[bill1952]

Okay, but don't hold your breath. 8^)

We need every loyal freeper that we can get.

[cpdiii]

The usual way for tyrannies to deal with such things is to a) repress the population (which is being done by instituting new Taliban-like rules); and b) to unite the populace against an external enemy, and Israel is the natural choice.

The tyrants in the Middle East "love Israel." So long as they can keep their own people filled with hatred toward Israel, their own people will not look at the corruption and despotic leadership that grinds them under the rulers boots. These despots need Israel to survive, least their own people rise against them.