Dr. Strangewar
And then there's the question of nukes. The United States continues to signal that some sort of military action against Iran could be launched, perhaps in concert with Israel, if the mullahs do not give up their uranium enrichment program. But unlike Saddam Hussein's Osirak nuclear reactor, which the Israelis blew up in 1981, the Iranian nuclear program is widely dispersed. As a consequence, any bombing would likely be more generalized and punitive, and the results of such campaigns in the Middle East have a long history of unintended consequences. Libya greatly increased its anti-American terrorist activities after the United States bombed Tripoli and Benghazi in 1986; Saddam Hussein refused to allow U.N. weapons inspectors to return after "Operation Desert Fox" pounded his capital in 1998. Israel tried to crush Hizbullah from the air in 2006 and failed.
Will the Bush administration launch air strikes against Iran anyway? The early retirement of the top American Middle East commander, CENTCOM's Adm. William J. Fallon, has added to speculation that it will. Fallon was an outspoken opponent of such operations. But one source close to the admiral, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggests the administration's real frustration is that it wants to seem crazy enough to do just about anything. This is very Cold War. It's Dr. Strangelove stuff. Back in 1969, President Richard Nixon called it "my madman theory": he hoped to convince the enemy he was so nuts he'd do just about anything, maybe even punch that nuclear button.
The mullahs, who play that game themselves, aren't impressed. Most likely Iran will become what the International Atomic Energy Agency calls a "virtual nuclear weapons state" in the next few years. It will have the ability to build a bomb but will keep the world guessing about whether it actually has one—much as Israel has tried to do for many years. The stalemate will continue, with the Iranian regime now protected by nuclear deterrence.
Keep the Iraqis Down. Even if Saddam Hussein had not been a tyrant, the nation-state he ruled would have frightened its neighbors. It was blessed with huge supplies of oil, rivers full of water, ample farmland and a population that was known as educated, industrious, tough and determined. Put those factors together with a powerful army and you had a regional superpower.
But that Iraq exists no more. Before, this nation-state was a battered heavyweight; now it's a quadriplegic on life support. The population is divided by sectarian strife and ethnic cleansing. The old national army was defeated and then dissolved by the Americans. The one that's been created since cannot function without them. In a world where a sophisticated air force is a nation's primary defense against foreign aggression, Iraq has a few secondhand helicopters and propeller-driven surveillance planes. Its land forces have little or no armor. Its logistics are handled by the United States. Indeed, without the Americans, Iraq would be defenseless, and that's not likely to change anytime soon. Which brings us full circle. Because the Iraqis are kept down, the Americans have to stay in to keep Iran out.
Postscript: One of the most depressing aspects of the Iraq fiasco has been its predictability. Anyone who doubts this should read NEWSWEEK's Feb. 3, 2003, article: "Perils of Victory: No One Doubts That America Will Win a War With Iraq. But Many Wonder If It Will Win the Peace."
© 2008
Loading Menu
Member Comments
Posted By: The_epoch_point @ 05/13/2008 10:31:22 PM
Comment: Now check out my book at Amazon.com
The Epoch Point by Spencer Zimmerman is a religious historical conspiracy thriller that follows evil throughout the existence of mankind, revealing the constant conflict between God and the devil, good and evil. Robert Davis is a young Airman fresh out of Air Force basic training who, after being held captive in China, suddenly finds himself unraveling the most immense conspiracy in history. On duty during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he soon uncovers hidden facts suggesting Russian and Iraqi involvement. While exploring abandoned military barracks at Kessler AFB in Mississippi, Davis and his friends discover the diary of Lee Harvey Oswald. Suddenly the Airmen find themselves the target of mysterious agents. As the clues surface, an evil emerges powerful enough to rewrite the entire history of humanity, not to mention kill two of his good friends. Before long the conspiracy takes on a supernatural form, marked by lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, and volcanoes, the wrath of God. Davis finds himself torn by the unbelievable realization that God has a message for him. Nothing could prepare him for the final suspenseful twist the story takes, a Da Vinci style revelation that reaffirms his belief in Christ.
Posted By: The_epoch_point @ 05/13/2008 10:29:16 PM
Comment: It's about time the left takes another look at Ronald Reagan and all the other strident anti-communists of the 20th century like Barry Goldwater and Joseph R. McCarthy. After all it was a Marxist Lee Harvey Oswald and a communist Sirhan Sirhan who knocked off the Kennedy Brothers. Now check out my book at Amazon.com
The Epoch Point by Spencer Zimmerman is a religious historical conspiracy thriller that follows evil throughout the existence of mankind, revealing the constant conflict between God and the devil, good and evil. Robert Davis is a young Airman fresh out of Air Force basic training who, after being held captive in China, suddenly finds himself unraveling the most immense conspiracy in history. On duty during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he soon uncovers hidden facts suggesting Russian and Iraqi involvement. While exploring abandoned military barracks at Kessler AFB in Mississippi, Davis and his friends discover the diary of Lee Harvey Oswald. Suddenly the Airmen find themselves the target of mysterious agents. As the clues surface, an evil emerges powerful enough to rewrite the entire history of humanity, not to mention kill two of his good friends. Before long the conspiracy takes on a supernatural form, marked by lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, and volcanoes, the wrath of God. Davis finds himself torn by the unbelievable realization that God has a message for him. Nothing could prepare him for the final suspenseful twist the story takes, a Da Vinci style revelation that reaffirms his belief in Christ.
Posted By: Yankee2020 @ 04/24/2008 12:02:36 AM
Comment: Agree on that, 911 is probably no conspiracy. But you sait as good as it can be said: this country simply loves war. We need no reasons to make war. If we can't find one to look fair, we just make one up. At the end, who cares if it was made up, the masses will soon forget. Our violence-loving military culture likes to go out and play with its own very real weapons of mass destruction to see how many "enemies" it can kill with the latest laser-guided weaponry and then brag about it. Dead civilians? Ooops, but it's just "collateral damage". They are called that so that we don't feel bad about it. As long as most of the casualties are on the other side, as long big defense contractors are happy, hey, it's war for the "romance" of it as you said. Entire families dead, a wiped out country and death on every corner. Truly a classical romance.