Iran Not Making WMD

I think it doesn't matter what I think.

Right now, I don't believe the US people would support a preemptive strike against Iran for any reason. Period. Iran could be building nukes in the middle of Tehran with guided tours and the US people as a whole would shrug. Okay... okay... maybe not shrug, but the people who demanded that we "do something" would be vastly eclipsed by those who demand we "do nothing".

I also question the ability of the political leadership in this country to effectively apply the instruments of economic, political and military power... and the wisdom to recognize when to use which. They don't get it. Neither party is bringing the A game. And I'd really like to see Congress stop passing the buck and actually declare a war. Putting it on Bush or Obama or whoever's next is just chicken-#@$. Vote yes or vote no, but acts of war should be approved by the people and not just the CIC.

I think there are two credible paths forward... Either we allow Israel to deal with this and give them passive support... or we go "all-in" on the covert side of things.

If we go covert (and won't be for long) it should be with the following goals: 1) Take the regime down; 2) Sabotage weapons sites; 3) Assassinate anyone with specialized technical knowledge in the country; 4) Identify, isolate and destroy Tehran-sponsored cells around the world; and then 5) You support the regime replaces the one you took out... but only as long as they don't go down the same path.

It's not pretty, but it keeps you out of putting large numbers of troops on the ground.

My opinion.

QUESTION from 2008 debate: Should the United States respect Pakistani sovereignty and not pursue al Qaeda terrorists who maintain bases there, or should we ignore their borders and pursue our enemies like we did in Cambodia during the Vietnam War?

One candidate:
"They are now raiding our troops in Afghanistan, destabilizing the situation. They're stronger now than at any time since 2001. And that's why I think it's so important for us to reverse course, because that's the central front on terrorism.

They are plotting to kill Americans right now. As Secretary Gates, the defense secretary, said, the war against terrorism began in that region and that's where it will end. So part of the reason I think it's so important for us to end the war in Iraq is to be able to get more troops into Afghanistan, put more pressure on the Afghan government to do what it needs to do, eliminate some of the drug trafficking that's funding terrorism.

And if we have Osama bin Laden in our sights and the Pakistani government is unable or unwilling to take them out, then I think that we have to act and we will take them out. We will kill bin Laden; we will crush Al Qaeda. That has to be our biggest national security priority."

Other candidate:
"He said he wants to announce that he's going to attack Pakistan. Remarkable.
You know, if you are a country and you're trying to gain the support of another country, then you want to do everything you can that they would act in a cooperative fashion.

When you announce that you're going to launch an attack into another country, it's pretty obvious that you have the effect that it had in Pakistan: It turns public opinion against us.
Now, our relations with Pakistan are critical, because the border areas are being used as safe havens by the Taliban and Al Qaeda and other extremist organizations, and we have to get their support.

We need to help the Pakistani government go into Waziristan, where I visited, a very rough country, and -- and get the support of the people, and get them to work with us and turn against the cruel Taliban and others.

And by working and coordinating our efforts together, not threatening to attack them, but working with them, and where necessary use force, but talk softly, but carry a big stick."

Who would you vote for?

Ahmadinejad is a 12er. Perhaps you would do well to look that up.

It should also be noted Ahmadinejad has already stated many times his intent with regard to Israel.

Obama's thought -
“Israel, a small country of less than eight million people, looks out at a world where leaders of much larger nations threaten to wipe it off of the map.”
— President Obama, speech to the U.N. General Assembly, September 21, 2011

There has been a lot of controversy about the phrase translation of "wipe off the face of the map" which was repeated by Ahmadinejad as he quoted Khamenei. Khamenei has made it abundantly clear that he harbors a rabid hatred for Israel.

Iran sponsors terror. No one disputes that. A state that sponsors terrorism. Think about that for a moment, would you? Iran has parked over 70,000 rockets via terrorist organizations on the border of Israel. That's not fiction. That's fact. Ahmadinejad stated "... "the annihilation of the Zionist regime is the key for solving the world problems.".." The chief of staff of the Iranian military recently stated, "the Iranian nation stands for the full annihilation of Israel." Google it. There are multiple sources. If you don't believe Iran will be a nuclear threat, why not? Do you not hear their own words?

Is that terrorist supplying state someone that would act prudently with a nuclear weapon? What about just the dirty old nuclear waste? Do you really think that government, an entity, that Jew hating country, for pete's sake wouldn't lob a dirty bomb at Israel? No one can be that naive.