Iran: A Bridge too Far?

[theknife]

Originally Posted by Mazer

Their leaders are at least as stubborn and hawkish as ours which means they will start a war sooner or later. And it will affect you, believe it or not; world wars tend to effect everyone.

it's more plausible that Iran's leaders are not as stupid as our leaders and are not going to start a war they cannot possibly win. why would they?

[albed]

Because they think the U.S. government is being taken over by selfish cowards who won't lift a finger to help other people live in freedom.

[Mazer]

Originally Posted by theknife

it's more plausible that Iran's leaders are not as stupid as our leaders and are not going to start a war they cannot possibly win. why would they?

In their minds the Iranian Revolution of 1979 continues to this day. That many of them call it the Muslim Revolution is telling: they think their Shi'a version of Islam will one day be the only version in existence and that it will spread to all corners of the world. To achieve that ambition they must first eliminate Sunni Islam by killing or subjugating all of its Arab adherents. They've wanted to do it for centuries, and the sectarian violence in Iraq is proof. For now they're content to fight their little jihad by covertly sending soldiers and materiel (read: terrorists and IED's) over their border to Iraq and Syria, and from there on to Lebanon and Israel. The point is they have already started a war they cannot possibly win, at least not the way they're fighting it now, and once they realize it their efforts will escalate.

You can call it stupid, but for them carrying out God's will is not an intellectual choice.

[theknife]

Originally Posted by Mazer

You can call it stupid, but for them carrying out God's will is not an intellectual choice.

tell me about it.

President George W Bush told Palestinian ministers that God had told him to invade Afghanistan and Iraq.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pre.../06/bush.shtml

[RDixon]

Consider this statement from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: "The time is approaching when Israel and the world community will have to decide whether to take military action against Iran." Or Israeli Brigadier General Oded Tira who said that because "President Bush lacks the political power to attack Iran," Israel and its supporters "must lobby the Democratic Party and U.S. newspaper editors" to demand such an attack. If the Americans do not take military action against Iran, General Tira promised, "we'll do it ourselves."

Now ask yourself this question: Are your views on Iran influenced by all this "lobbying"?

[Sinner]

it's more plausible that Iran's leaders are not as stupid as our leaders and are not going to start a war they cannot possibly win. why would they?

Iran’s leaders are not stupid at all, they are very smart. They know what they are doing, they know how to use the media to their advantage. They know Americans are peaceful people and as shown in this thread do not want to be brought into a war with Iran. Now if Iran attacked Americans on American soil it would be over for them but it seems Americans are not to worried about the fact they are directly involved in the killing of American soldiers in Iraq. Some would rather blame their own leaders. A good part of the country would rather ignore what goes on over seas, again this is what America did before Pearl Harbor and what America did with bin Laden and the Taliban before 9/11. To an Extremist like President Tom when you come to the table to talk, it is a sign of weakness, oh they will listen to you, shake your hand and agree with erery thing you are saying. Once you leave they are making plans to kill you.

No one wants a War with Iran, and the situation is very volatile. What can or should be done? If Israel or the USA or both attack Iran it may set off a firestorm, not just in the Middle East, remember the riots in Paris and the UK? Times that by ten. Hopefully cooler heads prevail, like the Cuban missile crisis did. America can not Cut & Run from Iraq, that is the key, if America does you can move that doomsday clock to 30 seconds to midnight.

[RDixon]

Originally Posted by Sinner

it seems Americans are not to worried about the fact they are directly involved in the killing of American soldiers in Iraq

Threre is no evidence to support that claim other than Bush, Cheney, Condi, et el. saying it is so, and we all know how honest that group is.[/sarchasm]

Maybe you call it a "fact" due to those wily Iranians' clever use of the western media to their advantage propagandawise?

Of course the Iranian diplomats who were illegally arrested in Iraq are most likey right now being tortured into "confessing" to whatever the hell their witch hunters want them to.

It is the exact same game plan they used in the run up to the Iraq disaster except this time they think they can pull off another Gulf of Tonkin event and ramrod Congress into voting for war with Iran.

And by they I mean Israel.

Like I said, Iran has a problem with Israel and Israel has a problem with Iran and as far as I can tell, there is nothing between them but air and opportunity.
And again, not my or my country's problem.

I wonder how most americans would feel if Iran had a well financed lobbying group constantly pestering our elected politicians in DC to attack Israel and saturating the media with evil Israel stories?

[Mazer]

Originally Posted by RDixon

And again, not my or my country's problem.

You must live in a very isolated country then. Where at, Antartica? The moon?

Do you really think a nuclear war that will spread to involve eastern Europe, southern Asia, northern Africa, and half of the world's population will not have any effect on the United States? When Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Israel decide to glass the entire middle east and send a billion souls to the afterlife, you're just going to sit in your living room and watch it on TV with a bowl of popcorn? Wow. I never knew such apathy could exist.