Is Iran a threat?

[Coyote]

I was sent an interesting blog link. In was this:

Americans’ fears about Iran have grown sharply over the last few months as efforts by the United States and Europe to slow Tehran’s nuclear program have been firmly rejected, a poll found.

More people in this country now rate Iran as the biggest threat to the U.S., 27 percent, than say that about any other country, including North Korea, China and Iraq, according to the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

...

"The threat from Iran has really penetrated, with two of three saying Iran’s nuclear program represents a major threat," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center. "Among people who have been following news about the issue, there’s even greater concern."

...

Two-thirds or more of those polled said they think that if Iran develops nuclear weapons, it is likely to attack Israel, Europe or the United States. Even more, 82 percent, say it’s likely that a nuclear-armed Iran would provide nuclear weapons to terrorists.​

IS Iran a threat to us? Europe? Israel?

I don't think so.

Rhetoric is escalating at the same level as pre-Iraq war sabre rattling. Iraq sure turned out to be a threat.

What you got is intense and heated rhetoric flying back and forth between Tehran and Washington and accusations that Ahamdinajad is a "madman"....

There are words BUT...what ACTIONS? There will the inevitable Hitler comparisons. But Hitlers rhetoric was backed up by actions.

Is Washington trying to push Iran into a corner to justify a unilateral attack?

Is a nuclear Iran a threat to Israel? I don't think so. I think it will provide a nuclear counter-balance if that should happen. Like a nuclear Pakistan.
And - more to the point - why should we care?

Is Iran sponsoring terrorism? Not sure. WHAT is terrorism? Is what Iran does any different then the thousands of destabilizing covert actions we (the U.S.) undertake?

Who is the real madman?

 

[Popeye]

Here's something I ran across the other day.

Experts: No evidence of Iranian nuclear weapons program McClatchy Newspapers



WASHINGTON — Despite President Bush's claims that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons that could trigger "World War III," experts in and out of government say there's no conclusive evidence that Tehran has an active nuclear-weapons program.

Even his own administration appears divided about the immediacy of the threat. While Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney speak of an Iranian weapons program as a fact, Bush's point man on Iran, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, has attempted to ratchet down the rhetoric.

"Iran is seeking a nuclear capability ... that some people fear might lead to a nuclear-weapons capability," Burns said in an interview Oct. 25 on PBS.

"I don't think that anyone right today thinks they're working on a bomb," said another U.S. official, who requested anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity. Outside experts say the operative words are "right today." They say Iran may have been actively seeking to create a nuclear-weapons capacity in the past and still could break out of its current uranium-enrichment program and start a weapons program. They too lack definitive proof, but cite a great deal of circumstantial evidence. Bush's rhetoric seems hyperbolic compared with the measured statements by his senior aides and outside experts.

"I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them (Iran) from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon," he said Oct. 17 at a news conference.

"Our country, and the entire international community, cannot stand by as a terror-supporting state fulfills its grandest ambitions," Cheney warned on Oct 23. "We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon."

Bush and Cheney's allegations are under especially close scrutiny because their similar allegations about an Iraqi nuclear program proved to be wrong.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/21067.html

 

[Irishone21]

Iran is a threat if we make them a threat. We should not consider them a threat, but must take them seriously and respect their policies. We should welcome criticism to our policies, and at the same time criticizing their policies when they are wrong, showing concern, not hatred. Acting hypocritically against their nuclear program is only going to cause them to develop uranium in spite of us. Our diplomacy is seriously flawed.

 

[Lasher]

Israel is the real threat

Israel is the real threat to America and the rest of the world, with their constant agitating and warring with their neighbors. Israel doesn't need to exist. The world would be more at peace if Israel vanished.

 

[Irishone21]

whoaaaaa... I disagree. Was that bait? Come on now brother, hatred will only be countered, and perpetuated. To stop hate, you can't fuel it. We can joke with each other, but international relations must be taken seriously, especially when trusts are so fragile.

 

[vyo476]

Israel is the real threat to America and the rest of the world, with their constant agitating and warring with their neighbors. Israel doesn't need to exist. The world would be more at peace if Israel vanished.

"Let's pick on the Jews! The world will be a better place for it!"

Tell me, do you prefer "Czar" or "Fuhrer"?

 

[USMC the Almighty]

"Let's pick on the Jews! The world will be a better place for it!"

Tell me, do you prefer "Czar" or "Fuhrer"?

He's right, vyo. "We need to take all the Jews and put them into worker camps."

 

[Coyote]

Actually, it's exactly this kind of stuff that irks me.

You don't dare critisize Israel's policies - note: Israel not a religion but a nation, without getting labeled as some sort of "Jew hater". There is a big difference between Israel: , a sovereign nation with it's own political interests and Jews: people of a particular relgion scattered throughout the world.

Israel is not above the law and past persecution of a people does not validate present day injustices committed by that people. If you can't have real dialogue about it, you will never solve the problems.

Lasher makes an interesting point: he is using the same rhetoric we hear about Iran on Israel. But somehow where that rhetoric seems acceptable when applied to the "evil Iranians" it is not when applied to the "good" Israeli's.

 

[USMC the Almighty]

Coyote, you can't even begin to argue that Iran and Israel are equals. Iran's president and it's most powerful leaders have vowed to destroy and entire country (and one of our biggest allies in the Middle East) -- the only thing they lack are the weapons to do it. Why in the world would be not do everything to prevent them from having these weapons?

In addition, no Israelis have been found shooting at U.S. Marines and soldiers both in Afghanistan and Iraq, nor have the Israelis been supplying AQ and the Taliban with weapons to combat the "Great Satan" as our friends the Iranians refer to the U.S.

 

[vyo476]

Actually, it's exactly this kind of stuff that irks me.

You don't dare critisize Israel's policies - note: Israel not a religion but a nation, without getting labeled as some sort of "Jew hater". There is a big difference between Israel: , a sovereign nation with it's own political interests and Jews: people of a particular relgion scattered throughout the world.

Israel is not above the law and past persecution of a people does not validate present day injustices committed by that people. If you can't have real dialogue about it, you will never solve the problems.

Lasher makes an interesting point: he is using the same rhetoric we hear about Iran on Israel. But somehow where that rhetoric seems acceptable when applied to the "evil Iranians" it is not when applied to the "good" Israeli's.

There's a difference between criticsizing Israel's policies and stating that the world would be a better place if Israel was gone.

 

[Lasher]

There's a difference between criticsizing Israel's policies and stating that the world would be a better place if Israel was gone.

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Well, don't you think the world would be better off without Iran?

 

[ArmChair General]

Iran hasn't started a war in over a thousand years. They are about as much threat to us as Canada is.

 

[Coyote]

Iran hasn't started a war in over a thousand years. They are about as much threat to us as Canada is.

but - but - Ahmademonjob wants to destroy us!!!!!!!

 

[Popeye]

but - but - Ahmademonjob wants to destroy us!!!!!!!

Check out his blog:http://www.ahmadinejad.ir/en/

 

[vyo476]

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Well, don't you think the world would be better off without Iran?

Nope. Not really. Sure, there's a possibility, but I don't see it being a very big one.