Is Iran Next?
We live in a
world of turmoil, in which competing interests vie for position and power,
often leading to open conflict.
We have just
ended a century that has seen two world wars, a series of civil wars, internal
conflicts, international terrorism, urban violence, environmental degradation
and the specter of total annihilation.
And, there have been no less than 170 wars worldwide during the past 50
years alone. (Theodoros
Soloman, Addas Ababa
University, United Nations Chronicle, Online Edition, Vol
XXXVI, Number 1, 1999)
A Rogue Nation
It’s clear
that Iran is a rogue nation. They have
been named as a state sponsor of terrorism, waging proxy wars against our
troops in Iraq, supporting terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah
(with money, weapons and training), cooperating with other terrorist states,
such as Syria, and supporting al-Qaida in Iraq.
Since the
Shah was deposed in 1979, Iran has been ruled by a repressive religious regime
that tortures and kills its own citizens for both religious and civil
transgressions that are generally not considered crimes in Western
societies. Violations such as adultery
and homosexuality are punishable by death (by hanging and stoning), while
lesser offenses often result in public whippings.
In addition,
the Iranian government routinely violates international norms by holding
citizens of other nations without legitimate reasons. Kathryn Jean Lopez noted the following
examples in an article titled, There’s No Negotiating
With Iran, (Townhall.com, June 4, 2007):
“On May 8,
the tyrannical regime in Tehran formally arrested a 67-year-old grandmother, Haleh Esfandiari. Not a sailor or
marine -- like the 15 Brits Iran held hostage earlier this spring -- Esfandiari is a U.S.-Beltway-policy wonk: She is director
of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International
Scholars. She was forbidden exit from the mullahcracy,
where she had been to visit her sick mother. At the airport, her passports were
taken, and she’s spent 2007 under house arrest -- and is now in the hellish Evin Prison…
Esfandiari is not the only American recently
taken hostage by Iran. Her prison mate is another supposed American spy: Kian Tajbakhsh, a sociologist
from the Open Society Institute (a New York group that promotes democracy).
Iran has also detained a peace activist named Ali Shakeri
and a journalist, Parnaz Azima,
from the Persian version of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. A fifth American
is missing there: Robert A. Levinson, a former FBI agent. (You can imagine what
they think of him.)…”
In addition,
there is the overriding concern that Iran is in the process of developing a
nuclear bomb, which they will use to dominate their Middle Eastern neighbors
and carry out their declared intention of “wiping Israel off the map.”
Religious Zealots In Charge
Perhaps the
greatest concern about Iran is the religious zealotry of the mullahs who
control the nation. President Ahmadinejad exemplifies this mindset with his frequent
diatribes denying that the Holocaust happened and declaring that Israel must be
destroyed, or that the “Twelfth Imam” will only return to save the world when
it has descended into chaos, which gives rise to speculation that their goal
may be to initiate the beginning of Armageddon (Iran’s President and the
Politics of the Twelfth Imam, Guest Commentary, John von Heyking,
November 2005). Perhaps more believable is the objective of all fundamentalist
Muslims to re-establish a “caliphate” in Baghdad.
Whatever the
case, there seems to be little doubt that something must be done to prevent
Iran from continuing on its present course.
So, the question is not really whether Iran is next but when and how,
and do we have the will to take some sort of action beyond talking?
Assuming we
do find the collective will to do something about Iran, the question then
becomes what and when. My own view is
that we should not stand around decrying Iran’s aggressive behavior and
wringing our hands over the situation (as Europe did with Hitler in 1939), only
to wake up one day and discover we’ve been had.
The United States and the other Western nations must act.
Alternatives To
Bombing Iran
There are a
number of alternatives to bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities, such as:
1) Actively
supporting opposition to the current Iranian government from within by
providing financing, training and expertise to opposition groups.
“Tehran and
several other cities have been wracked in recent days with widespread anti-government
protests and violent crackdowns by government forces. Buildings have been set
ablaze, and exiles are calling for revolution. According to reports on
Activistchat.com, a website dedicated to freeing Iran from the oppressive rule
of the mullahs, numerous protestors have been killed. Michael
Ledeen — who has many sources inside Iran and out —
reports that the roundups and executions of young men have picked up at a
terrific pace. Iran has staged 120 public hangings since March,
according to the government’s own news agency.”
(Iran at the Tipping Point, The West should help push it over, Jonah
Goldberg, National Review Online, October 4, 2004)
“The
unpopularity of the mullahs, primarily with the younger, Western-oriented
generation, is causing panic inside the regime. The appeal of revolutionary
theocracy has been bled dry. The Christian Science Monitor reported — some
would say ‘reluctantly reported’ — that discontent with the regime and a desire
for ‘change’ according to various ‘polls’ equals 90 percent.” (Iran at the Tipping Point, The West should
help push it over, Jonah Goldberg, National Review Online, October
4, 2004)
2) Sabotaging
Iran’s gasoline processing facilities.
With limited capacity, Iran currently imports about one-third of the
fuel they need.
3) Blockade
all shipping in and out of the country.
4) Attack
strategic targets in Iran, such as power plants, bridges, highways, preferably
from within.
Taking Action
“As its
humiliation of Britain earlier this year proved, Iran is clearly in the mood to
test how far it can go -- how much the United Nations and the United States
will let it get away with. The answer appears to be, pretty far. A recent
report from the International Atomic Energy Agency tells us that over the
course of a year, Iran has gone from 164 centrifuges to 1,312. Maybe 8,000 by year’s end? Clearly, we have no time to be
messing around. I’m all for diplomacy in general -- but with Iran? The country fomenting violence against our troops and allies in
Iraq? The country that wants to wipe Israel off the
map? The country that answers our diplomatic olive branches with
hostage-taking?” (Kathryn Jean Lopez, There’s No Negotiating With
Iran, Townhall.com, June 4, 2007).
One of the
important benefits of taking action against Iran sooner rather than later is
that it would help stop them from interfering in Iraq, as well as cutting off
their support of al-Qaida, Hezbollah, Hamas and Syria. This would go a long way toward stabilizing
the entire region and have the added benefit of preventing them from getting
“the bomb.”
It’s a lousy
choice for sure, but sooner or later we will be forced to make it. The question is,
when will we develop the “intestinal fortitude” to do so?
©
2007 Harris R. Sherline, All Rights Reserved