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Mr. President, Don't Forget Iran
Wall Street Journal ^ | February 19, 2008 | Christopher Hitchens

Posted on 02/19/2008 6:09:45 AM PST by nuconvert

Mr. President, Don't Forget Iran

February 19, 2008

WallStreetJournal

Christopher Hitchens

Dear Mr. President: A few months ago, it became possible to hear members and supporters of your administration going around Washington and saying that the question of a nuclear-armed Iran "would not be left to the next administration." As a line of the day, this had the advantage of sounding both determined and slightly mysterious, as if to commit both to everything and to nothing in particular.

That slight advantage has now, if you will permit me to say so, fallen victim to diminishing returns. The absurdly politicized finding of the National Intelligence Estimate -- to the effect that Iran has actually halted rather than merely paused its weapons-acquisition program -- has put the United States in a position where it is difficult even to continue pressing for sanctions, let alone to consider disabling the centrifuge and heavy-water sites at Natanz, Arak and elsewhere.

Over the course of the next year, you will have to decide whether this question will indeed be left to become a problem for the succeeding administration. As matters now stand, the U.S. is in the not-unfamiliar position of appearing to be more bellicose than it actually is. The picture is complicated by the fact that, unlike Iraq in the past or North Korea today, Iran can boast quite an impressive "civil society" movement, which would like both to replace the current ramshackle theocracy and to adopt better and closer relations with the U.S.

In other words, Iran is running on two timetables. The first one -- the gradual but definite emergence of a democratization trend among the young and the middle class -- is something that we can gauge but not determine. The second one -- the process by which a messianic regime

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bombiran; christopherhitchens; hitchens; iran; iraniannukes; iranpolicy; middleeast
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1 posted on 02/19/2008 6:09:50 AM PST by nuconvert
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To: nuconvert
Lol. The plate certainly is full right now.

Kosovo, Pakistan elections, Cuba Communist Transition.

I would expect a Martian invasion next. Well, maybe not Mars, they are good guys, perhaps Jupiter or Neptune.

2 posted on 02/19/2008 6:14:26 AM PST by BGHater ($2300 is the limit of your Free Speech.)
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To: AdmSmith; freedom44; Valin; odds; sionnsar; LibreOuMort; Pan_Yans Wife; Army Air Corps; GOPJ; ...

Here’s a quote from an Iranian friend who was in Iran at the time:

“You should have seen how people reacted to the capture of Saddam and how they praised Bush and every body was saying, if only U.S. attacks Iran.
While riding in a cab, the cab driver asked, “ when will Bush come and save us?” He said Bush is Imam Zaman”

Imam Zaman = the Imam of All Time, the Messiah


3 posted on 02/19/2008 6:20:23 AM PST by nuconvert (There are bad people in the pistachio business.)
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To: BGHater

Pakistan and Iran should be at the top of that list


4 posted on 02/19/2008 6:29:15 AM PST by nuconvert (There are bad people in the pistachio business.)
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To: BGHater
Well, maybe not Mars, they are good guys, perhaps Jupiter or Neptune.

What about the Klingons from Uranus?

...sorry...

5 posted on 02/19/2008 6:31:29 AM PST by Night Hides Not (Don't blame me - I'm a Fredhead!)
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To: Night Hides Not

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww That joke is sooooo old, and stinky.


6 posted on 02/19/2008 6:56:55 AM PST by Rick.Donaldson (http://www.transasianaxis.com - Visit for lastest on DPRK/Russia/China/Etc --Fred Thompson for Prez.)
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To: nuconvert; freedom44; Iris7; potlatch; devolve; ntnychik; dixiechick2000; MeekOneGOP; ...
In this country polls are the thing--70% of Iranian people wish the ayatollahs to keel over with such a pain.

Yet.

I am seeing our president install as our Secretary of Defense the former DCI Robert M. Gates who coauthored the 2004 Council on Foreign Relations paper "Iran: Time for a New Direction" with Zbigniew Brzezinski the National Security Advisor for that great friend of Israel and freedom everywhere James Earl Carter.

Now one might ask why would the vanquisher of Saddam Hussein want to do the Neville Chamberlain buttkissing dance with Rat Boy and Khameini.

Go back to that paper: the Bobbsey Twins call for "improved intelligence"--but wait, under Carter and his good buddy Stan Turner 820 case officers were sacrificed on the altar of detente Halloween 1977.

How do we improve intelligence by destroying humint.

How do we obtain victory by suing for peace.

What moved Iran from the Axis of Evil to a strategic partner to be consulted vis-a-vis the stability of Iraq.

I advise Christopher Hitchens to wake up and smell the sweet tea.

The NIE should have been torn up in shreds on national teevee with the prez doing a Mexican hat dance on it on the Oval Office rug followed by one of those "the attack begins in five minutes" bits.

B-2. Spirits. Massive Ordnance Penetrator(s). Natanz Baby Milk Factory. Just Do It.

And. More heart attacks for ayatollahs.

Oh, and Zbigniew Brzezinski is the foreign policy advisor of the Twelfth Imam from Chicago, dispatched to Damascus for another Munich Moment.

Does anyone doubt that the folks who did the Embassy and barracks bombings in 1983 would not use their nuclear capability to do say the Big Apple asap.

Meanwhile the road map and making the jooz use the side door at Annapolis.

Hitchens, Hitchens, Hitchens, you have your answer.

7 posted on 02/19/2008 9:31:05 AM PST by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: nuconvert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de8i3XZE9ZE

Interesting comedy making fun of the EU’s appeasement policy with Iran, posted by an Iranian.....

In Farsi, English subtitles.


8 posted on 02/19/2008 4:58:19 PM PST by G8 Diplomat
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To: PhilDragoo

LOL!! The 12th Imam from Chicago!

That is rich!

Seriously,there is never a Dem dabte question on Iran. Wonder how Her Heinous and the Obamanation would respond to this situation.

We already know that whatever Cankles does, she’ll expect a do-over, and Obama likes to talk.

How will they protect America from nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists?


9 posted on 02/19/2008 5:08:47 PM PST by exit82 (People get the government they deserve. And they are about to get it--in spades.)
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To: G8 Diplomat

Lol. Hadn’t seen that, Thanks


10 posted on 02/19/2008 6:03:41 PM PST by nuconvert (There are bad people in the pistachio business.)
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To: PhilDragoo

You’re in rare form these days, Phil.


11 posted on 02/19/2008 6:04:14 PM PST by nuconvert (There are bad people in the pistachio business.)
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To: nuconvert

Iran is NOT clear and present or even impending danger to the security of the United States.

The clear and present danger is the dozens of EXISTING nukes in Pakistan falling in the hands of a jihadist regime.


12 posted on 02/19/2008 6:09:22 PM PST by ajay_kumar (United we win, divided democrats win. How difficult is that to understand?)
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To: exit82

All good questions. And instead the media sychophants ask Frau Mao, “Diamonds or pearls?”


13 posted on 02/19/2008 6:34:33 PM PST by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: ajay_kumar

You’re right about the dangers of Pakistan.

However, you are wrong about the dangers of Iran. The regime works thru proxies : Hezbollah, Hamas, alQaida, Taliban, etc. They have and will give aid to terrorist groups in order to carry out attacks against us in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, on planes, and elsewhere.
Not to mention that have and will attack our friends and allies.


14 posted on 02/19/2008 6:47:34 PM PST by nuconvert (There are bad people in the pistachio business.)
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To: G8 Diplomat

After looking again at the description given by the poster of that video, I see it says “THE IRANIAN RESISTANCE” and a keyword is PMOI. So, this video was made by MEK.
Just to let you know.


15 posted on 02/19/2008 6:56:11 PM PST by nuconvert (There are bad people in the pistachio business.)
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To: BGHater

I would expect a Martian invasion next. Well, maybe not Mars, they are good guys,

Sure, all they want is our women...


16 posted on 02/19/2008 6:58:26 PM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: nuconvert

Oh....hmmm, well that changes things.

Thanks for pointing that out...I didn’t even notice.


17 posted on 02/19/2008 6:59:51 PM PST by G8 Diplomat
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To: nuconvert

bttt


18 posted on 02/19/2008 7:00:04 PM PST by kalee (The offenses we give, we write in the dust; Those we take, we write in marble. JHuett)
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To: G8 Diplomat

I missed it too the first time I looked at it.


19 posted on 02/19/2008 7:01:21 PM PST by nuconvert (There are bad people in the pistachio business.)
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To: nuconvert
W will look the other way on Iran unless they do something really stupid. He does not want to ruin his legacy. Little late but hey a guy can dream can’t he!
20 posted on 02/19/2008 7:01:32 PM PST by mad_as_he$$ (John McCain - The Manchurian Candidate? http://www.usvetdsp.com/manchuan.htm)
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