The Last Days of the Mullahs by Michael Ledeen
As has so often happened in American history, we have a chance to be saved from our folly by our enemies, rather than by our own exertions. Our diplomatic corps have labored mightily, ever since the bloody seizure of power in Tehran by the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, to reach a rapprochement with the tyrannical rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran. As Kenneth Pollack wrote in his recent book, “The Persian Puzzle,” we have tried every possible approach, and they have all failed. And he sadly concluded that they all failed because the Iranian tyrants are not interested in rapprochement with us. Would that he remembered what he wrote, because Pollack, along with a vast array of self-styled foreign policy professionals, continues to propose new stratagems to weave this well-aged pig’s ear into a diplomatic silken purse. But the response is always the same: the mullahs will have no part of it. In the past few days, they have told us and the European appeasers to take our carrots and go away. They will not terminate their nuclear program.
Good article, and he ends with:
Freedom is spreading, and we are its inspiration. Don’t go wobbly on us, George. Don’t play the one-step-at-a-time game, we are a big country and we have big dreams. So, to the amazement of the cynical professionals, do the peoples of the Middle East.
Indeed. And since he didn’t say it this time, I will: “Faster, Please!”
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Doomsday for ‘em be sooner rather than later.
http://tinyurl.com/67s8q
Iran�s foreign minister has told a Bosnian newspaper that if Washington decides to attack Iran it will be a nightmare for the United States. �If America decides to attack Iran, they will make a big mistake. It will be a nightmare for them,� Kamal Kharrazi was quoted as saying in an interview published yesterday in the Nezavisne Novine newspaper. Kharrazi is part of an Iranian delegation led by President Mohammad Khatami which concluded a three-day visit to Bosnia yesterday.
Disputes between Iran and the US â��have a long history,â�� Kharrazi was quoted as telling the Banja Luka-based daily. â��During our conflict with Iraq, the US took the side of our enemies. There are also many other problems,â�� Kharrazi was quoted as saying. He said talk of American military intervention in Iran was â��political pressure… The United States does not want to understand that Iran is an important player in global relations. Iran is democratic and has a positive role in promoting peace and security in the world.â�� At the end of the interview Kharrazi said that unlike Iraq, Iran is â��a united nation and a strong government.â�� â��If they (the United States) attack us, I think, it will above all be a nightmare for them,â�� Kharrazi was quoted as saying.
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F**t big while your ass is still intact.
Where Ledeen tells Bush, “don’t go wobbly,” I say “Stop giving the Mullahs everything they want!”.
It’s important to remember that we really have no credible invasion threat here unless we’re bringing back the draft — Iran is much bigger than Iraq and our army’s going to be tied up for a while. As far as Iranian public opinion goes, I imagine that US air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities help the mullahs more than the reformists.
On another note, I prefer a nuclear-armed Iran where the reformists are on the path to victory over a somewhat-short-of-nukes Iran that’s ruled ironfistily by evil theocrats. This isn’t connected to the above point, but it’s something to think about.