… that some day they would build a statue to him in a free Isfahan. Reading his latest piece on Iran – which, inexplicably, I missed for a day or two – I’m beginning to wonder when that day will come. Writing with his characteristic vigor, Michael certainly paints a bleak picture for now:
The mullahs are altogether capable of deciding that events are now running strongly in their favor, and that they should strike directly at the United States. They look at us, and they see a deeply divided nation, a president who talked a lot about bringing democratic revolution to Iran and then did nothing to support it, a military that is clearly fighting in Iraq alone, and counting the days until we can say “it’s up to the Iraqis now,” and – again based on what they see in our popular press – a country that has no stomach for a prolonged campaign against the remaining terror masters in Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.
Osama bin Laden came to similar conclusions, and ordered the events of 9/11. Why should the Iranians – who have been major supporters of the terror network ever since the 1979 revolution – not do the same?
And they would be making the same mistake Osama did. The Euro-Americans (Americans with a Euro-elite worldview, aka the American Left) can make a lot of noise, they occupy the MSM after all, but they’re already damageing themselves politically as it is.
An attack by the Iranian mullahs would be all it takes to make taking them down the next campaign in the War on Terror. They’re high on the list anyway, as it is. And it would blow their stall-for-time-to-develop-nukes strategy to splinters.
When I read things such as that, I think “they can’t be _that_ dumb, can they?”
Then I realize what America looks like from the outside. The protest over the weekend being a good example (from various perspectives – over-reporting for one).
There are limits on what we can do, but they are very, very high limits and we have not come close to approaching them.
As an example: US imports power the world economy. You either help us or you get a 50% tarriff slapped on your imports. Pays for the war, gets allies, and, perhaps, encourages American manfacturing. How convenient.
Don’t miss also Amir Taheri’s New York Post article Why Tehran hopes for war
Is Michael expressing his own opinion or what he thinks is the opinion in Tehran when he writes: a military that is clearly fighting in Iraq alone….
In either case, that’s clearly wrong. The Tel Afar offensive was lead by Iraqi forces, while security in Najaf has been handed over to the Iraqi Army. Many, many more trained batallions have been deployed over the last year.
On the other hand, the thugocracy in Iran reminds me more and more of pre-war Germany, making all the nice, diplomatic noises it can while preparing for war.
I understand how Ladeen feels but this is America and if Bush went into Iran right now he would probably be impeached.
Bush is not King.
And we cannot win it so long as we are blinded by our potentially fatal failure of strategic vision: we are in a regional war, but we have limited our actions to a single theater. Our most potent weapons are political and ideological, but our actions have been almost exclusively military.
Michael Ledeen is right when he says this, although off the mark in his targets. The key theater of operations is the US. We have to win the political and ideological fight with the domestic left before we can hope to carry the battle to Iran. And currently that fight is going poorly.
We Can Pay Now or Later!
Roger,
I’m sure the regular readers here are bored to tears re my thoughts on Iran. Dr. Ledeen is right on with his assessment re the dangers that lie ahead in Iran re our strategic foreign policy in the region.
The Blogos can deliver this message to the Amercian people and the world. Please share this message with your friends and associates and encourage them to do so too.
I tend to agree the Mad Mullahs are on their way down like the Hitler Regime at the end of the WWII. The great danger is whether they have a nuke weapon to use in their delusional moments.
Dr. Ledeen is spot on – we can pay now or we can pay much more later.
See my previous comment here at RLS:
RLS Link
We Can Pay Now or Later!
Roger,
I’m sure the regular readers here are bored to tears re my thoughts on Iran. Dr. Ledeen is right on with his assessment re the dangers that lie ahead in Iran re our strategic foreign policy in the region.
The Blogos can deliver this message to the Amercian people and the world. Please share this message with your friends and associates and encourage them to do so too.
I tend to agree the Mad Mullahs are on their way down like the Hitler Regime at the end of the WWII. The great danger is whether they have a nuke weapon to use in their delusional moments.
Dr. Ledeen is spot on – we can pay now or we can pay much more later.
See my previous comment here at RLS:
RLS Link
Oophs – sorry. My post hung right in the middle.
Ron
I’m impressed with your articles. I’m really looking forward to your next blogs.