The World After Sharon: What to Do About Iran?

THE NEW YORK OBSERVER ^ | 1/16/2006 | Richard Brookhiser

[kellynla]

Ariel Sharon pauses at the gate of life and death. Is there such a thing as Sharonism that will outlast him? Do leaders make history, or are they made by the flow of events?

No one in Israeli politics seemed less like the blunt general than Shimon Peres, dove for all seasons. Yet when Mr. Sharon formed his new centrist party, Kadima, to fight the upcoming election, Mr. Peres joined it—because he and Mr. Sharon had a friendship that was old as dirt. Chalk that up to the personal. With Mr. Sharon out of the picture, where will Mr. Peres—and everyone else in Kadima—go?

Yet the reason Mr. Sharon formed a new party is that he had set Israel on a new policy—one he felt dictated by the shape of things. The Oslo process, begun by Yitzak Rabin, another willful general, had ended in failure. Israel could not negotiate a peace with the Palestinians, because anyone they dealt with was either murderous and corrupt, like Yassir Arafat, or incompetent, like Mahmoud Abbas. Mr. Sharon decided it was time to stop trying; so he built a security fence, chucked Gaza and was evidently prepared to cede much of the West Bank (except for the good parts). All he was saying was, give despair a chance. You might have to be a bold ex–tank commander to formulate such a policy, but you could be all sorts of people to carry it on, especially if a plurality of Israelis remains willing to try it.

[kellynla]

"Five years of George W. Bush feel like 10 years of any other combination of Presidencies. He has had more history than anyone bargained for. It is lucky that he is like Ariel Sharon—a tough son of a bitch who just keeps going."

[kellynla]

"We need war with Iran."

I disagree, I believe the Iranians are perfectly capable of "taking out their own trash!"

Now they may need some help "eliminating" the nuclear plants with air strikes but the "bad actors" can be disposed of by the Iranians themselves. JMO

[kellynla]

well I can guarantee you that there will be no invasion of Iran. Syria maybe on our way back home but Iran? No way Jose...the Iranians are going to have to "take out their own trash" with or without others' support(read armaments only)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I certainly hope you're right. But the Mullahs have disarmed the population and have puit into place a Stasi-like system of paid snitches in the population. A war with Iran would pretty quickly involve more than the US and Iran.

[Polyxene]

"But the Mullahs have disarmed the population and have puit into place a Stasi-like system of paid snitches in the population."

Thanks, Jimmah -- we have YOU to thank for this mess!!
(The Carter Legacy -- the gift that keeps on giving!)

[Tolik]

There are conflicting reports on reaction of Iranian opposition in case of our or Israeli strike against nuclear targets. It is totally unclear (to me at least) whether they would use an opportunity to act against mullahs or would unite against the foreigners.

What do you think?

[kellynla]

"What do you think?"

I don't know.
You'd have to ask some of the Iranian FReepers.
But I do know that we won't be invading Iran.

[quant5]

"But I do know that we won't be invading Iran."

I don't think anyone knows this for sure at this point. I would give an opinion that we should and probably will. We're damned if we do and damned if we don't but probably better off without the mad mullahs running a nuke program.