Another Dumb Move by Iran

"Opinion"

07/09/2008

Paul Munnis


Iran has test fired a 1 ton medium range ballistic missile today and with it came these words:

"Our hands are always on the trigger and our missiles are ready for launch," the official IRNA news agency quoted Iranian Air Force General Salami as saying on Wednesday.

This test firing puts put Israel, Turkey, the Arabian Peninsula, Afghanistan and Pakistan all within striking distance.

Thus Iran has advanced to a point where it has made certain enemies of these nations who now feel threatened by Iran and its sword-rattling rulers. In so advancing, Iran has entered onto a slippery slope that invites subtle attack from all of these threatened neighbors.

Such an attack need not be too sophisticated: a strike on the atomic processing facilities, an attack on the missile launch sites, movement of a aircraft carrier into the Straits of Hormutz permitting constant bombing, the movement of two battleships into the Straits of Hormutz permitting continual shelling and those combined with a heavy bombing campaign would make short work of the Iranian government. In the meantime the threatened neighbors can tighten their borders, seize Iranian assets, and land-lock the Iranian Army. Iran is surrounded and playing with missiles won’t change that situation. That the U.S. can easily do these things at any time to Iran is a good guarantee that there is no rush to do them.

Why such a dumb move by Iran?

To anger G.W. Bush -- an empty political suit on his way out the door in just a few short months?

We have to say that when it comes to foreign and domestic policy the Iranian government is as dumb as a box of rocks. They are on a slippery slope that is totally unneeded to advance their agenda. Their agenda should be to reunite with Iran, reconstitute the old nation of Persia through reunion with Iraq, and to create an economic powerhouse in the region. Instead they are headed for added UN sanctions when they already have enough problems on their plate. The world sees them as warmongers. They are moving away from what should be their goals in order to appear strong. Why? They are worsening the security of Iran with these actions and are not advancing their cause one bit.

People in Iran with brains see this as a move born of desperation at attempting to keep control at home of an increasingly restless young population that wants economic freedom. People who understand this move will see that a further ruling deterioration of the Iran government is happening and that the ruling centrists are in increasing trouble with their people. This is an attempt to tell the Iranian citizen: “We have the guns.” They fear the Iranian people more than Bush but they are signaling their people that they have no worthwhile long-range goals except control of their turf.

Giving Bush any reason to rant and rave and worsen the sanctions against Iran was not a good choice by the Iranian government and will just make things worse, will lead to tighter sanctions, worsening economic conditions, and increased domestic tensions within Iran.

Sir Isaac Newton’s “Law of Equal and Opposite Reaction,” will now set-in.

As they demonstrate to the world their increasing desperation at governance we would suggest to them that they pause, re-evaluate their strategy, work cooperatively with the rest of the world, and advance the interests of the people that they are responsible for leading. Any other course will only hasten their departure from the world scene. In a world of nuclear weapons, sophisticated delivery systems, and with a growing list of enemies, Iran is like a kid playing with a .22 pistol in the backyard of a volatile and angry neighborhood. They are courting trouble and it will find them.

The UN needs to tell Iran to “Wake up” and “Shut-Up!”