A military strike would be a disaster

So how should we confront Ahmadinejad?

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A military strike would be a disaster
by Setareh Sabety
04-Oct-2009
 

Why would anyone be shocked by the so-called revelation that another uranium enrichment facility exists somewhere near Qom?

It amazes me how even Iranians of the Diaspora, who know the Islamist regime well, seem distressed by it all. I am not claiming to have known any more than anyone else about this, but I certainly never believed that the Iranian government was capable of being transparent about anything, least of all about its nuclear program. Deception is a form of negotiation. And transparency is as alien a concept to this regime as fairness and justice.

Some argue that it's Iran's right to acquire nuclear weapons. Israel acquired it through stealthy means, so why shouldn't Iran? Personally I am more sympathetic with the straightforward argument that Pakistan and Israel have nuclear weapons, so why can't Iran? What amazes and angers me though is that many people, especially Iranian Americans, even 'experts,' actually buy Iran's assertion that its nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes.

Come on!

Mir Hossien Mousavi promised during the campaign to make Iran a law-abiding and tolerant member of the international community. He even challenged Ahmadinejad on this issue during their hugely popular televised debate. He told Ahmadinejad that he was dangerously isolating Iran in the world community with his behavior and wild assertions.

Two of the most prominent voices of the opposition, Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi and renowned filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, have repeatedly criticized the West for not doing enough to voice outrage at Ahmadinejad's election rigging and violent human bashing.

In fact, Ebadi, the only Iranian and the first Muslim woman to be awarded the Noble Peace Prize, went so far as accusing the British of appeasing the Ahmadinejad government.

Makhmalbaf, a spokesman for Mousavi, just issued a statement discouraging negotiations with Ahmadinejad's "coup d'etat regime." He also declared that the opposition shares the concerns of the international community over a nuclear Iran.

Some Iranians of the Diaspora, especially those still shell shocked by the bellicosity of the Bush years, and the Israeli horrors committed recently in Gaza, are much wearier of Obama's recent statements threatening Iran than those in Iran. The opposition inside Iran, having suffered the severe brutality of the Ahmadinejad government first hand, may welcome the West's new tougher stance. Many, in fact, expected this reaction from the West earlier, in response to the rigged election results and the human rights abuses that followed, but they welcome it now nonetheless.

Unlike neocon-weary Iranian Americans and highbrow liberal-leaning intellectuals, freedom-seeking Iranians who poured into the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities to demand their rights, are probably more afraid of their own government than of Israel or America. They know that their leaders are liars because they are lied to on a daily basis. Transparency from Ahmadinejad would shock Iranians, not his lies!

Obama, Sarkozy and Brown are asking for compliance with existing laws, and an opening of the doors of Iran's nuclear facilities to IAEA inspection. Nothing new there in their demands, just a firmer tone. We are still very far from a war! And the Iranians know that if there is a military strike on Iran then the only one to blame is the faction in power in Iran. This is the same regime that kills civilians, rapes students and tortures journalists. I mean who can argue that if you deny the Holocaust repeatedly, especially when there is a Netanyahu in office in Tel Aviv; if you continue to flout international law; if you rig your own elections, even in the face of a rising young majority, even after carefully vetting opposition candidates; if you abuse and kill your own peaceful protesters in front of the whole world; when you make life very difficult, even for the handful of educated apologists on your side, then surely you are asking for it!

From the first time Ahmadinejad came to New York, it was apparent to me that he was out to pick a fight. To take him up in that fight would be a mistake. Now, more than ever, this regime needs to divert attention from its failures. It wants nothing more than to sweep its heinous crimes under a carefully woven rug. Israel's callous repression of Palestinians helps Ahmadinejad like his Holocaust denial helps Israel's continued militarism.

Failing in their role as managers and leaders of Iran, the regime elite are hiding behind their role as the defenders of Islam and Palestinians against Israel. This may work with the neo-con hating Iranians of the Diaspora or the Islamists in the region but at home it does not work because there many people are actually pro-Israeli. I would bet that Iranians are less sympathetic to the Palestinian cause than any other Muslim nation for the simple reason that the regime is pro-Palestinian. Listening to the slogans of the recent Jerusalem Day protests amply reveals the general frustration of Iranians with their government's support of Hamas and Hezbollah: Na Ghazeh, Na Lebanon, Jaanaam Fadayeh Iran (Not Gaza, Not Lebanon, my life for Iran); Felestin kojaee, Kahrizak ra bebinee? (Palestine, where are you to see Kahrizak?) There was one video clip of young protesters tearing down the Hezbollah banner put up for Qods Day to the cheers of the crowd.

So what is to be done? Sanctions will benefit the regime because they thrive in a black market economy and are old hands at how to survive sanctions, which they faced from the very beginnings of their dictatorship.

A military strike would be a disaster, not just because the nuclear sites are too close to huge population centers, but because it would give the regime a freer hand to continue its brutal treatment of the opposition, on the grounds of treason and aiding the enemy. It would help the regime hide behind the lie, meticulously crafted, of their role as the champions of Islam fighting a crusading West.

The only hope of Iran ever complying with International law is for the opposition, who by most credible accounts was robbed of an electoral victory, to prevail and overthrow this illegitimate government. The opposition needs to be supported by the world. Unconditional support for the opposition in Iran, diplomatic sanctions and freezing of assets, as suggested by Shirin Ebadi, are the only real options the International community has. Appeasement would be wrong. But a military strike or harsh and people-targeted sanctions are what the government wants. Giving it to them is an act of appeasement.

The only way to make Iran safe for the world is to make her safe for her citizens.

First published in TehranBureau.com

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Anonymouse

Is the U.S. Preparing to Bomb Iran? Massive Ordnance Penetrator.

by Anonymouse on

Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) is part of Pentagon's budget for 2010. It definately is for Iran and not another country, but would they use it?

//abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-preparing-bomb-iran/story?id=8765343 

Everything is sacred.


Norchi

Human Rights in IRAN

by Norchi on

 

We should push for Human rights in Iran and International support for more democracy in Iran. peace,social Justice for Iran.

Anonymouse

Funny thing about Ahmadi and his supporters.

by Anonymouse on

You know criticizing Mullah's and Ahmadi is the easiest thing to do.  Everyone knows what a failure they are and how corrupt and morally bankrupt they prove to be time and time again with their denials of everything from Holocaust to club med prisons in Iran.

Of course you know it, I know it and the American people know it (Bob Dole ;-) but if you ask Ahmadi and his supporters everything is honky dorey and Iran couldn't be any better. 

Whatever good is in America such as rule of law, they say it is true in Iran too.  Ahmadi and his supporters say everyone follows the law.  Yet people are killed and tortured in Iran and police in official uniforms are photographed by videos breaking cars and windows and properties and no one gets arrested for it.

They don't care about eyewitness videos.  It is nothing to them.  Here in America heads will roll, actually wasn't it in a sheikh kingdom in the gulf when one Emir was photographed going over someone with a car and then he was investigated and so forth?  Everywhere else in the world proof of crimes is proof except in Iran.

They say don't criticize Ahmadi because doing so will put you in enemy's camp.  Yet people were robbed of their votes to change a dangerours path of picking a fight and rushing Iran into another war.  Ahmadi wants a war and wants others to pull the trigger first.  Is that how it works for bullies?!

They say Israel is a bully and they're competing to become a bully themselves.  They say Israel should be wiped off the map and have Qods day but if Israel says something they cry like a cry baby.  What kind of f***ing bully do they want to become if they cry like a baby?

They say uranium enrichment stays in Iran and said they'd never agree to it, now uranium goes to Russia and France.  Of course they say they didn't give up anything.  They just love denials because they think "some people" believe them and that's good enough for them.

And the list goes on.  The point is they are drama queens and kings and the more you argue with them the more they like it.  They don't have fun arguing in Iran but they love it here.  Nothing is accomplished by arguing with them.  Don't send their belogs, news and articles to the most discussed because you're just "discussing" how good Ahmadi really is in their eyes.  Do you have doubts that he isn't?  Do you have doubts in yourself?

The fact remains that Iranians inside Iran have shown that Ahmadi does not represent the majority of Iranians.  The 5 + 1 need to ask his representatives what changed?  Why are you now giving up on your 100% enrichment in Iran?  Of course the answer would be denial and in response they can say, we are not the Iranian people under the gun and your gun is nothing but an air gun to us.

This whole negotiation and discussion and all of it is nothing but a dead end for all parties.  No one is going to get squat but everyone is going to claim victory.  Don't have doubts in yourselves.

Everything is sacred.


sima

Sometimes things just fall apart on their own

by sima on

I think we're close to that. At some point a little talangor will finish the job.


Anonymouse

So how should we confront Ahmadi?Never believe him/his supporter

by Anonymouse on

Everything is sacred.


Truth Seeker

Supreme Chicken-Hawk is not happy either!!!

by Truth Seeker on


Fred

Sucker's bet

by Fred on

If the question of the Islamist Rapist Republic is limited to how we should confront Ahmadinejad, then Shirin Ebadi’s prescription is as good as any. But should the aim be not participating in the IRR’s games of musical chairs and being resolute about getting rid of an unmemorable Islamist menace then there are many successful examples to emulate.

Before it is too late and to avoid an IRR desired war, the sane world has to impose airtight sanctions and at the same time help enslaved Iranians with moral and material support to overthrow the entire proven unmemorable Islamist system lock, stock and barrel.

Betting on regime’s former high officials with criminal records of their own who openly say their goal is to preserve the Islamist system and at the same time wanting things to change does not make any sense and is a sucker’s bet.   


G. Rahmanian

International Community!

by G. Rahmanian on

  "Unconditional support for the opposition in Iran, diplomatic sanctions and freezing of assets, as suggested by Shirin Ebadi, are the only real options the International community has."

IR death squads turned Europe into their own backyard where they butchered many Iranians, but we never saw any severence of diplomatic ties with the IR criminals by any European country. 

China has invested heavily in Iran's oil sector and Iran has become a growing market for its shoddy goods. So far, China has only agreed to watered down sanctions against IR and does not find it in its own interest to get tough with IR.

Russians, on the other hand, will not be inclined to agree to any type of freez as long as they are making billions of dollars dealing with IR.

Iranians are on their own and they need to stay united in order to bring down the murderous regime of militarists and their religious backers. However, without a trusted leadership that can lead the people to eventual victory, the regime will remain in power.