Posted on 01/25/2006 8:24:40 AM PST by jan in Colorado
A growing number of nations and international interests are expressing alarm at Iran's seeming intent to develop nuclear weapons. But why the world thinks Iran is developing such capacity, and what is to be feared from it, remain matters in wide dispute.
Israel, of course, is most immediately threatened and is least ambiguous in its analysis. A nuclear Iran, either out of calculation that it could win a nuclear exchange with Israel, or out of a fanatical derangement, clearly poses an existential threat to Israel. No Israeli leader could risk exposing his country to such a threat, if he could avoid it.
The United States, to a substantial extent, shares the Israeli concern. But beyond that, the U.S. as the dominant world power would have primary responsibility for managing a more aggressive, harder-to-deter Iran that might feel safer in using terrorism to strike the U.S. and the West, armed with a nuclear deterrent. Also, a nuclear Iranian regime would feel safer from a combined U.S. and domestic regime change effort.
[...]
Strategic Forecasting Inc. (Stratfor), the highly regarded Texas-based strategic analysis group, has recently presented a completely different theory.
In their view, Iran's move is all about Iran's place in the Islamic firmament — and particularly her seeking pride of place over Al Qaeda as the leader of radical Islam.
Thus, by this theory, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad very methodically went out to deny the Holocaust in order to reassert Iran's anti-Zionist credentials. The nuclear gambit, so it is reasoned, would have three goals: to be seen to end Iran's sometimes unprincipled accommodation with the West, to become Israel's greatest threat (and gain unambiguous power over regional Sunni states such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt) and to be seen to take unmatched risks for radical Islam.
(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...
let's just nuke them first an be done with it.
'Cause they give Americans great, big boo-boos, thats why.
This will not work at the personal level, and certainly not at the international level where the surrogate army smokescreen is certain to be used.
In my universe, if my neighbor tells me constantly that he wants to kill my family and me, and keeps it up for years, I do not feel obligated or compelled in any way not to take preemptive action.
"But why the world thinks Iran is developing such capacity, and what is to be feared from it, remain matters in wide dispute. "
Terrorism was pioneered by Iran pretty much.
Does anyone in any government anywhere honestly think that Iran WOULDN'T use a nuke if they developed them?
They have airliners, they have shis, they have vehicles.
9/11 taught us that one doesn't need fancy missiles to attack another nation.
Imagine the mayhem if 9/11 had been a container ship coming into NYC with a nuke on board instead.
Fortunately, it doesn't matter why they want nukes. They simply can't have 'em. I think our President understands that.
Tony Blankley is, as always, excellent at cutting close to the bone.
Amen to that!
If 9/11 taught us anything, it's that we MUST defend ourselves BEFORE they strike!
Appeasement will be our undoing. God help us if the Democrats get back in the White House.
Because Iran is ruled by a guy crazy enough to use them regardless of the inevitable retaliation.
Just for the record, I remember A-bomb drills back in the late 50's in elementary school (in Pittsburgh PA). We had to duck under our desks with our hands over our heads. The alternative: they lined us up on the playground and told us that if the bomb dropped, we had to evacuate the area in a straight line. People in Pittsburgh were told to head east toward Philly. People in Philly were told to head west to Pittsburgh.
Out of all the violent threats (some explicit death threats), abuses and replies I've ever received from RoPers, the one that sticks out in my mind and worried me the most came from a long time adversary of mine who I developed a very strange kind of personal "understanding" with.
He once said to me words to the effect of "you can kill Bin Laden, you can nuke Afghanistan or Iraq, but you are doomed to fail because it's more than the man, or a country, or al Qaeda. It's an idea, a mission from god [Allah]. You will never kill that."
Oddly, the two of us, enemies from opposite sides of the spectrum, agreed on many things but for very different reasons....
It's an idea, a mission from god [Allah]. You will never kill that.
That's the bottom line...and, from that perspective, Ahmadinejad is perfectly sane (it is islam itself that is insane).
The Steelers... well, you know!
This is what so many in this Country and throughout the world DO NOT understand! The ideology itself is the enemy, and it must be exposed and eliminated before there will ever be victory.
You and I have spoken for a long time about how muslims have no idea that their religion might be evil. It is like dealing with a drug addict...the addict can't see how awful his predicament is until he is sober.
Somehow islam must be exposed for what it is...the question is how can the muslim world be shown the truth?
Luckily, we have a President that understands this.
From his "lecture" at KSU Monday...
there is an enemy which is relentless and desirous to bring harm to the American people, because of what we believe in. See, we're in an ideological struggle.
It's very important for the students here to understand that there is an enemy which has an ideology, and they're driven by an ideology. They make decisions based upon their view of the world, which is the exact opposite of our view of the world.
"Somehow islam must be exposed for what it is...the question is how can the muslim world be shown the truth?
OK, I have never been a fan of political correctness, so here is one idea...
"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war." Ann Coulter
This Is War, Sept. 12, 2001
The reality is, this can't and won't be done. Unlike communism, islam is considered a religion, and war will not be declared on islam. I believe the solution is just what President Bush is doing. Give Muslims the opportunity to taste freedom. As they experience freedom, they will reject islam, and the slavery which they have suffered under for far too long.
We did the same thing in Detroit in the 50's - although our instructions were a little different:
1) bend over double,
2) put your head through your legs,
3) kiss your a$$ goodbye!
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