Posted on 04/25/2006 3:14:40 PM PDT by Crackingham
Iran's announcement that it has enriched a minute amount of uranium has unleashed urgent calls for a preventive U.S. air strike by the same sources that earlier urged war on Iraq. If there is another terrorist attack in the United States, you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be also immediate charges that Iran was responsible in order to generate public hysteria in favor of military action.
But there are four compelling reasons against a preventive air attack on Iranian nuclear facilities:
1. In the absence of an imminent threat (with the Iranians at least several years away from having a nuclear arsenal), the attack would be a unilateral act of war.
If undertaken without formal Congressional declaration, it would be unconstitutional and merit the impeachment of the President. Similarly, if undertaken without the sanction of the UN Security Council either alone by the United States or in complicity with Israel, it would stamp the perpetrator(s) as an international outlaw(s).
2. Likely Iranian reactions would significantly compound ongoing U.S. difficulties in Iraq and in Afghanistan, perhaps precipitate new violence by Hezbollah in Lebanon, and in all probability cause the United States to become bogged down in regional violence for a decade or more to come. Iran is a country of some 70 million people and a conflict with it would make the misadventure in Iraq look trivial.
3. Oil prices would climb steeply, especially if the Iranians cut their production and seek to disrupt the flow of oil from the nearby Saudi oil fields. The world economy would be severely impacted, with America blamed for it. Note that oil prices have already shot above $70 per barrel, in part because of fears of a U.S./Iran clash.
4. America would become an even more likely target of terrorism.......
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
I didn't read the rest of this dribble, but does he go through hypothetical events that could take place if we didn't strike?
The 1970's reasoning of the Carter crowd is, that if we just wait long enough, Iran will see the error of its ways, and everyone will join hands and live in peace. That's a beguiling idea, but I'm not so sure the World works that way. I see all kinds of evidence of people doing awful and atrocious things, but I don't see evidence of a natural proclivity to sit around a campfire singing Kumbaya.
I think most of us would prefer to avoid an armed conflict. Iran's leadership seems hell-bent on one. Their philosophy seems to be, Please attack us so that the Mahdi will come and we will subdue the World. Not much pacifist thinking there.
We can't attack Iran. After all, it mught hurt the regime Carter helped put in power.
Don't leave out Syria. (and, maybe Pakistan)
There are always plenty of good excuses for a lazy coward to do nothing; but, a reasonable person would conclude that this argument means that we must be nuked first before we can act, and that is a wholly unacceptable premise.
Because those two countries are the most active in pushing for the elimination of Israel?
OK.WHERE IS THE MEGA BARF HURL ALERT?
You forgot "THE ONLY PRESIDENT TO HAVE THE WORD 'STAGFLATION' APPLIED TO HIS ECONOMIC POLICIES"
LOLOL Pretty well sums it up ;)
There is NO REASON not to seek a Declaration of War against the Islamic Republic prior to commencement of hostilities.
The rest of Zbig's points are absurd blather - but even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.
So what?
BFD.
CHIEF MALAISE OFFICER
The genius from the Jimmah Cahtah White House.
Why the heck do all of these geniuses keep telling us that Iran is "several years away" from development of a bomb?
Russia had one in 1950, just 5 years after we did. And that was using technology that is now considered stone-age. France, UK, Israel, China, Pakistan, and India likewise quickly developed bombs once they got the know-how.
What makes Iran so different? If we listen to these fools, we are going to wake up to a nuclear test in the Persian desert, only to be told by Zbig & Company that "it's too late now to do anything."
Send in the freaking cruise missiles, dammit.
I'd sure like to know if he did lose.
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