Posted on 12/06/2010 3:33:24 AM PST by Scanian
Few Americans seem to have noticed, but a huge number of Middle Easterners have a very different opinion about the deployment of American military power in the region than they did a few years ago.
In the run-up to the 2003 war, no Middle East government -- not even Israel -- lobbied for regime change in Iraq. Indeed, the US-led invasion was all but unanimously opposed in the region. Today, by contrast, Middle East governments almost unanimously support a US military strike against Iran's nuclear weapons facilities.
The only reason Iran has not been attacked, or at least threatened with an attack if it doesn't stand down, is because both the Bush and Obama administrations have so far been against it. We were too aggressive for most in the Middle East earlier, but now we're too passive. Just look at the latest batch of WikiLeaks.
"The danger of letting [Iran's nuclear-weapon program] go on is greater than the danger of stopping it," said Bahrain's King Hamid. "Cut off the head of the snake," an aide to Saudi King Abdullah said to Gen. David Petraeus and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker. "Iraq was unnecessary," Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said, referring to the US-led invasion. "Iran is necessary."
American "imperialism" apparently isn't so bad if it serves regional interests. As Middle East blogger Jesse Aizenstat once put it, "There is nothing like a fanatical band of Persian cats to bind the Semitic tribes."
Nor is it only the Arab world's rulers who think Iran's aggressive foreign policy is a problem. A majority of citizens in 18 Arab countries think Iran is a bigger security threat than Israel, according to a region-wide survey conducted last year by YouGov and commissioned by Qatar's Doha Debates.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
A good story , and I believe it to be true.
The problem is that as soon as we remove Iran, we will come under attack from the whole bunch who will deny they ever proposed we take down Iran.
You cannot win with these people.
Wasn’t part of the opposition to the Iraq War fear that it would strengthen Iran?
Sort of.
Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath Party was Sunni-dominated.
The majority of Iraqis are Shia.
The majority of Iranians are Shia.
Connect the dots.
If I was the Arabs I’d start mking reeeeal nice to Israel ‘bout now, because under Zer0 the US will do exactly two things about Iran: Jack and squat.
Color my sceptical. We DON’T have Wikileaks from 2002-2003. Most of these Middle East governments say one thing publicly as opposed to behind diplomatic curtains.
I’ll bet they were quite relieved when we took out Saddam. Fact is, if we had more public support from them, the Iranian thing would have been easier to solve.
As Osama said, Arabs favor the strong horse, not the weak.
They should pay for our services and NOT the American taxpayer.
Exactly, and we’d used Saddam to keep Iran in check for so many years. Not too much of a stretch to say we’re fighting them now in a proxy war in Iraq.
Probably not, but it puts the USA in a very strong position. I seem to remember OPEC, particularly the Arab state members, working very hard to restrict supply to insure $130/BBL oil. Perhaps when OPEC decides it is in their best interest to open the taps.........you see, extortion works in both directions.......
Do you really believe the pus-bag we have in the White House would make this work to our advantage?
Of course not, and precisely for that reason Iran will still be there in two years, bigger, stronger and closer to a nuclear tipped theater missile capable of hitting targets anywhere in the ME and likely Europe......our bargaining chip is only going to get more valuable over the next two years while the Arabs become increasingly desperate.......
Iran will never get “closer”. When it gets nukes, it will use them. That's what they've been saying for years. Ist Israel, 2nd Rome, 3rd USA. Preferably, all three at once. That's why the Arabs say wait is more dangerous then taking them out now.
What makes you think Israel will let Iran have a nuke? Assuming this does happen Iran will have no second response weaponry left and along about that time Iran will cease to exist. Israel alone will make sure that happens......but more likely the head of the snake in Tehran will be lopped off long before Iran starts lobbing missiles. The Arabs will capitulate and allow overflight of their airspace to save their own hides.
Right now the Israeli gov is very weak and seemingly hell bent on national suicide, mostly brought about by our beloved Great Leader and His minions. One nuke will totally take out all of Israel, Iran would take many nukes. Iran does not care about 2nd strike; it's their 1st strike wich counts in their deranged minds.
As for Iranian losses, the deceased Grand Muckedmuck was quoted as saying something on the order of: If we lose one half the population in a nuclear exchange, that is acceptable because they will be martyrs and will entice the 12th Imam to emerge for the well. In short, they do not think like we do.
Few Americans seem to have noticed, but a huge number of Middle Easterners have a very different opinion about the deployment of American military power in the region than they did a few years ago... no Middle East government -- not even Israel -- lobbied for regime change in Iraq... US-led invasion was all but unanimously opposed in the region. Today, by contrast, Middle East governments almost unanimously support a US military strike against Iran's nuclear weapons facilities... both the Bush and Obama administrations have so far been against it... Just look at the latest batch of WikiLeaks.Gosh, it's almost as if they were all a little complacent about their brothers in faith, and have fairly recently come to their senses. The fact is, the Saudis and Kuwaitis found out the hard way that Saddam couldn't be trusted any more than the Iranian mullahcracy, but figured he still made a pretty good cork in the bottle.
Actually, when I was an undergrad I went to school with a lot of Iranians and even had a couple of profs of Iranian descent. I have been told that the majority of average Iranians do think like we do. Thanks to the Iran/Iraq war most of their population is below 35 YO and are very westernized. Remember the recent riots in the streets? The Mullahs (and Stinky) at the top are the ones who believe in the 12th Imam myth.
Another thing to remember is Israel reportedly has 200-300 nukes right now with the capability of projecting that force in several ways. Iran has zero. Iran will not deploy a fission weapon unless it has been tested. When Iran does finally test watch Israel get their act together pronto and the Arabs will suddenly (momentarily) become Israel's best friends...
Iran's first test will be on/at/above Tel Aviv... They have pretty much said so... once they obtain a weapon they must use it. They know a test inside Iran will bring a reaction they do not want. Testing outside, i.e. over Israel, has only upsides for the insane mullahs:
massive blood will bring the little guy out of the well, heralding the beginning of the global Ummah, and the eventually bringing of the entire human race into Paradise;
create millions of Iranian and Palestinian martyrs instantly;
eliminate the hated Israel.
Glowing glassy plains and mountains in Iran is fine with the mullahs. The Iranian people know this — which is the main reason for the uprisings. Those folks do not want to die; however, many have said if destroying the mullahs means many of them will die, then bring it by what ever means - nuclear or otherwise.
Funny you should mention it, but I was just having this conversation with a guy I know who fled Iran when the Shah fell. He kept insisting that the United States must do something to stop Stinky and the Mullahs. The gist of my response was it was his country and if he and Iranian people weren't willing to die for it why should Americans be willing to die for it? He didn't really have an answer.
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