David Harris, Ottawa Citizen Special
When the United States strikes Iran — as it will — the result will be a disaster, but a disaster that cannot be avoided.
Today, Iran’s radical Islamist military, security and intelligence machine reflects the extremism of its history and entrenched masters. It has made Iran an engine of global instability and menace. For Iran today is on the verge of grasping the nuclear club, even as it remains an ungovernable influence in the international community.
Iran’s extremist and uncontrollable nature has been well defined through action.
Start with reports of early post-revolutionary Iran. Massacres of Baha’is and other minorities. Razor-blade removal of lipsticked lips. Thumbtacks affixing veils to reluctant women. Adolescent gays hanged from construction cranes. Human waves of nine-year-olds attacking Iraqi forces.
CONTINUE
It is absolutely imperative that this whackjob and the entire mullocracy in Iran is wiped out along with its nuclear facilities.
More people such as David Harris need to have their say in the main stream media. Still given the attitude too often displayed by too many Canadians and Americans, their words are not heard.
Reading Harris’ article I could not help the bile of frustration and anger rise within me as he listed off the most heinous and evil beliefs and actions of the Iranian regime since the Shah was unseated and replaced by Ayatolah Khomeinei back in 1979.
The saying came to mind that all evil needs to succeed in this world is for good people to stand silent and do nothing.
Who are these good people however?
Certainly not Russia that provided Iran with its nuclear technology knowing exactly what Iran intended to do with that technology. Certainly not China that along with Russia has ensured that Iran is armed to the teeth and who both also ran interference at the U.N. to keep any meaningful sanctions being imposed on Iran while manipulating a fearful and cowering EU and America to seek out Iran for meaningless talks.
And what of the EU nations that turn a blind eye to the dangerous insanity of the Iranian regime as they seek to profit by their trade relationships with that country?
And what of the Bakers and the Hamiltons and those who participated in the ISG who advocated that America must engage Iran and their ally in evil, Syria in discussions?
And what of the Bush adminstration itself that until now has chased after just about any upper echelon Iranian representative to try to begin discussions in a diplomatic process that cannot go anywhere?
And what of the Democratic party and congress?
Not only are they making sounds that are like music to Iran’s ears, they are doing a great job of further discombobulating the Bush administration from being able to formulate and implement any effective policy to attack Iran, deal with Iraq or even exit it and to go after Islamic radicals wherever they might be as the democratic party is successfully fueling the American war averse neuroses as a political tactic to gain the war averse American public’s support that they need to get into the White House in the 2008 American election.
And what of all those in the U.S., Canada, the EU and thirdworld and Muslim countries that find time and reason to single out Israel for condemnation, demonization and delitigetmizaion, but avoid mounting any pressure against Iran or for that matter any Muslim nation where human rights are trampled, where Iran and radical Islam are directly responsible for contributing to the rising death toll in Iraq, most of whom who are being killed and maimed are in fact Muslims, where Iran is known to have sponsored terrorism in the world, where Iran has already established sleeper cells in the West to execute their attacks on a moment’s notice and or as regards the world’s silence as regards the Darfurians who are dying in the thousands daily at the hand of an evil Muslim regime in the Sudan, which the West mouths platitudes about and the Islamic world throws sand in the gears of efforts to stop the genocide?
While David Harris speaks with certainty that America and the West cannot forever avoid attacking Iran, that is as much an expression of hope as it is a reasoned prediction.
For all the American lives lost and shattered, the prestige and influence lost and the hate and insults it has endured, all because of and at the doing of Iran, one begins to wonder whether America has any instinct, let along conscious desire left to go for Iran’s jugular and take its vengeance or revenge and instead have proven only an infinite capacity to suck it all up and still have room to take what Iran dishes out.
The way things are now in terms of the chance of the West attacking Iran, it is very unlikely. Russia, China, developing nations and the Muslim Middle East will not do anything to stop Iran and indeed their actions as they have in past, will likely continue to bolster and empower Iran in moving forward with her agenda.
The British proved less then useless in their own cause when Tony Blair in the face of Iran’s illegal hostage taking of 15 British seamen from Iraqi waters, with a stiff lipped grim face told the public, words to the effect that “we are not negotiating with Iran and we are not being confrontational”. The translation was he and his government were doing nothing about this act of war on Britain except to wait things out and hope and pray that Iran would relent and release their hostages which she did and Britain sat back with a big sigh as if doing nothing had been all it took to avoid a disastrous situation becoming even more grave.
As for the EU and especially those EU nations that have trade relationships with Iran, they cannot be counted on to attack anything or anyone unless that anything or anyone threatens to interfere with their greeding profit motive relationship with Iran. The EU is quite content to have Iran preach hell and damnation against Israel and America and make themselves believe that because they are not as hated by Iran as America and Israel, they are still relatively safe.
Israel for very obvious reasons does not want to be the one to attack Iran. Because Israel is however more vulnerable to the Iranian threat both in terms of distance and small size, Israel is in a do or die situation. If America does not attack Iran and it appears that Iran is about to gain nuclear WMD capacity, Israel will have no choice but to launch a pre-emptive strike.
Israel is cutting it awfully close by taking a wait and see attitude.
Before launching a military assault on Iran, American leaders will consider every other possible alternative. Due to its small size and close proximity to Iran Israel will run out of possible alternatives before America does. In other words, Israel will be forced to act before America is forced to do so.
For better or worse, this going to be up to Israel. When Israel takes action, the best America can do is offer political cover and STAY OUT OF ISRAEL’S WAY!!
In any event if a military assault against Iran is to be launched, it cannot be done from Iraqi territory. Iraq’s soverign government has already stated that the US will not be allowed to use Iraq as a base for attacking Iran.
Ok it has now been said the bigest concern of america and israel to attacking Iran is the fallout by iranian and muslim retaliation. It means every american and israeli and jew anywhere in the world could be targeted. with all the talk of bombing Iran in articles and blogs as well as some politicians here and there, nobody talks much about the real cunundrum and that is retaliation and in what form and with what methods.I for one still don`t beleive America will do the job, they will in the end I fear go the way of N Koreans cave in and pay them. Next proble is with what currencey can america pay Iran to behave with nukes? my next suposition is that america and its EU allies with Russia and China applauding in the wings will demand Israels head. Israel is being positioned slowly but surely to be the 21st century czechislovakia. IF WE LET THEM! Israels only choice in the matter will be either to succumb (meaning to do nothing and foolishly rely on american protection) or to take the initiative go out and do it. Even though the fallout might be little better than the previous alternative. We will be blamed wall to wall, sanctions will be imposed as punishment and peace deals with jordan and egypt will be ended. threat if not actual war will come from all our arab neighbors. Stock markets might crash, jews living in many place in the world will experience pogroms and violence. Most goverments will stand by and do little or nothing. Israel might be attacked on all sides. I could go on but it could be a lot worse and maybe even better than my fears permit. I will say that a lot depends on major jewish solidarity and our non jewish freinds in america and the world.
What is important about this article is that it was written by a very respected lawyer in Canada and published in the nation’s capital.