The video is a good introduction to the issues of Iran and USA-Israel vector to force the USA interests in the Middle East.
The Iranians are not a military threat for USA, France, England, and Germany.
Iran’s military spending is “relatively low compared to the rest of the region,” and of course minuscule as compared to the US. Iranian military doctrine is strictly “defensive, designed to slow an invasion and force a diplomatic solution to hostilities.” Iran has only “a limited capability to project force beyond its borders.” With regard to the nuclear option, “Iran’s nuclear program and its willingness to keep open the possibility of developing nuclear weapons is a central part of its deterrent strategy.”
Is Iran a threat to Israel?
Facts: Israel has 3 nuclear submarines, donated by Germany, capable to carry nuclear bombs. USA has provided Israel planes capable to carry nuclear bombs. Israel has nuclear bombs and the most sophisticated armaments in the world, thanks to the generosity of US and Germany.
Then why does Israel feel threatened by Iran? A common explanation often offered has been psychological syndrome. A cure for this behavior cannot be another war instigated on behalf of Israel, this time with Iran. In spite of our statements, Iranian nuclear fuel cycle, or state of democracy in Iran, or theocracy are not high priority issues relative to our national interests. What are the USA Interests in the Middle East?
General Petraeus informed the Senate Committee on Armed Services in March 2010 that “the Iranian regime is the primary state-level threat to stability” in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, the Middle East and Central Asia, the primary region of US global concerns. The term “stability” here has its usual technical meaning: firmly under US control.
Iranian threat is not military aggression. Iranian deterrent capacity is considered an illegitimate exercise of sovereignty that interferes with US global designs. Specifically, it threatens US control of Middle East energy resources, a high priority of planners since World War II. As one influential figure advised, expressing a common understanding, control of these resources yields “substantial control of the world” (A. A. Berle).Iranians have had difficulty to understand one key issue; our national interest in the Middle East is a high priority. Iranians must submit to the US interests in the Middle East [Double Vendetta: The Insanity of the Iran Confrontation ], like under Shah.
Iran has no enemies except those created by its nuclear weapons program. There isn't anybody who wants to attack who hasn't attacked in the last 30 years. They aren't hanging about waiting for Iran to get nukes before they attack. So Iran's weapons are offensive, not defensive.
ReplyDeleteIranian leaders have a thing with holocaust denial, and it is widely interpreted, even inside Iran, as a warning that they are going to create the next holocaust. If you had nuclear weapons, would you be a holocaust denier?
Iran has issued numerous hostile statements about a "World without Zionism" and that famous threat that the Iranian website itself translated as "Wiping Israel off the map". Others prefer the translation "Eliminating Israel from the pages of history". No essential difference.
All the above in combination with the proxy war against Israel by Hamas and Hezbollah persuades anybody who cares to look that Iran wants to destroy the Jewish State.
In this context the launching and testing of ground-to-ground ballistic missiles, capable of putting a 1-ton nuclear warhead in Israel tells a chilling tale. Israel is not going to perform the experiment of waiting to see whether Iran tries a nuclear attack. Nor can we ask Israel to take that risk.
Iran has supplied Hezbollah with thousands of missiles. These are in no way a defense of Iran nor is support for Hezbollah in the rational self-interest of the Iranian nation. Some say they are for retaliating after an Israeli anti-nuclear raid. But there wouldn't be a raid if Iran weren't building nuclear weapons.
The Arab states, who understand the Middle East very well, are up in arms about their old Shia enemy going nuclear. They don't regard it as a positive development.
We cannot say that the holocaust deniers who have been shouting "Death to America" for 30 years are acting in their own rational self-interest. So we cannot rely on deterrence to keep the peace.
The other purpose for the nuclear weapons complex in Iran is to build local hegemony, which means a local oil monopoly. If Iran can intimidate its way to a monopoly on middle east oil, it can leverage that to dominate China and Europe, at least partly. Irans leaders have dreams of a reborn Persian Empire. This is a direct threat to US national interest, as well as that of Europe and eventually, China. The Chinese are hoping to be first in line for the oil, but a look at how the Iranian Revolution handled the Iranian Commmunists (The Tudeh Party) tells the tale.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent first step in intimidation of the local petroleum states would be nuking Israel. That'll get their knees shaking.