by Jack Lee
Since the war in Iraq is winding down to nothing but annoying car bombs, Iran’s Mullah’s have turned their gaze upon Afghanistan in renewed hope that there may yet be a triumph of radical Islamic forces! Iraq was their Vietnam, and it’s estimated and quite accurately I might add, that about 39,000 hardcore fanatics have been laid to rest in Iraq and Afghanistan.
However, Iran is determine to see that number climb and they’ve re-established the rat line into Afghanistan for shipping massive amounts of explosives for IED’s (roadside bombs) and weapons ranging from AK-47’s (automatic rifles) to RPGs (rockets).
At the same time Iran is bent on enriching uranium to build their first nuclear weapon and they have continued unabated despite UN pleas and sanctions to gain their cooperation.
(President Ahmadinejad shown left) Iran has two political forces and neither seem to be accountable to the other and as a result they occasionally have differing foreign policies. There is the theocracy side led by the Ayatollah and Supreme Leader Ali Hoseyni Khamene’i and his boys, the Mullahs in the so-called Guardian Council with their private army and then there is the elected government with the traditional military forces which are far more visible and they are controlled by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is as crazy as a loon. Both sides reflect an overconfidence that is typically Iranian.
Khamene’i is one tough guy and he does as he pleases, irrespective of Ahmadinejad. As the countries religious leader he makes the law because he tells Iranian’s his version of the Koran and of course his version is always the correct version and nobody in Iran would dare say otherwise.
War between Israel and Iran is virtually assured and could come at any time.
In what many pundits are calling Iran’s crisis of overconfidence there comes a willingness, make that an eagerness, to face down the UN and especially the USA over their nuclear ambitions. Further, they are equally determined to provoke the UN and America in Afghanistan and Iraq with the blatant shipment of arms to terrorists that include Al Qaeda, the ANO (Abu Nidal organization), Abu Sayyaf Group, Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group), Asbat al-Ansar, Hizballah (Party of God), Armed Islamic Group (GIA), the Taliban and many others. Iran has been a real problem child in the region for decades, fomenting attacks on Sunni’s in Iraq and anyone else they see as an impediment to Shia domination of the region.
Iranian foreign policy is the province of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), currently headed by Said Jalili and formerly by Ali Larijani who resigned in 07; some think he resigned in protest over Iran’s nuclear aspiration because he was Iran’s top negotiator on nuclear issues. This has raised a number of questions and concerns about nuclear weapon development and regional nuclear proliferation. Israel is especially concerned and since Larijani’s departure nothing has abated that concern. Just the opposite, this nuclear situation is headed to a showdown.
It is no understatement that given Iran’s leadership Israel’s very survival is on the line. In fact if there was one unifying force between Iran’s religious leaders and the government bureaucrats, it’s their desire to see all Israeli’s pushed into the sea. However, if they tried this at the point of a nuclear missile, Palestinians would have strong objection! They want Palestine back like it was, not a blackened wasteland of radioactive fallout, but their wants are secondary to Iran’s. Iran will probably never use nuclear weapons, however a fanatical country can never be trusted. The threat to both Israel and the world that Iran presents cannot be understated.
Let’s not forget that it was Iran in 05 who sponsored the conference titled, “World without Zionism” and that was a blatant incitement to genocide. Since then Ahmadinejad has proclaimed :
- “The real cure for the conflict is elimination of the Zionist regime.”
- “The way to peace in the Middle East is the destruction of Israel.”
- “Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation.”
- “The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm.”
What is even more telling is almost all Iran’s leaders have made similar statements. These statements are not aimed at Israeli policies, they are targeting the nation of Israel.
For the first time, Iran can threaten Tel Aviv with their home built Shahab 3 missiles. Iran has put a lot of money into long range missiles for a reason. When coupled with nuclear warheads, these missiles would give Iran the ability to threaten countries far from its borders. (See map.)
Classified intelligence says that Iran is not satisfied with the Shahab 3 with its 2,000 km range, they are trying to obtain extremely long range missile from North Korea (and we believe they have obtained at least 18 of them). These missiles are called the BM-25 and they are a knockoff of the Russian SS-N-6 that has a range of over 1800 miles.
President Obama’s policy on Iran seems to be one of deferring to the UN. Ahmadinejad warned that, “…the U.S. as continuing on an aggressive path first blazed by former U.S. President George Bush.”
He advises Mr. Obama to be careful or he will receive the same harsh response that the world gave to President Bush.
In a speech given on 4 April, Ahmadinejad slammed U.S. leaders, calling them cowboys who put their finger on the trigger when they are losing an argument. He branded Mr. Obama as inexperienced, saying he would fail to corner Iran, because his predecessors “had also failed.”
President Obama announced the new U.S. nuclear doctrine Tuesday, pledging not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states. Mr. Obama excluded both Iran and North Korea from his declaration, since neither state appears to be cooperating with the international community over non-proliferation. END
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