[emc]

Consider the imams sitting in Tehran, thinking "Hmmmmm.....there are Americans to the east of us! Hmmmmm.....there are Americans to the west of us! This could be very important. What could all of this mean?" :D

Wait and see......


emc

[Baba Louie]

Lets see.

GWB
"No safe harbor..."
"Axis of Evil"
"Iran, North Korea and Iraq"

One down...

Adios

[Greg L]

To paraphrase Clint "Right turn Clyde"... :evil:

Greg

[Dave Bean]

Or we can hang a major left and take Franc.....I mean Syria. :)

Dave Bean

[WilderBill]

Syria is on the way to the Mediteranian, which could be on the way to France...

Seriously, I think that some in Iran are a bit nervous right now. Many of the younger generation there are ready for a new government. One of a more secular, more democratic nature. The uprising in Basra might just inspire some in Iran as well.

[Preacherman]

Consider the imams sitting in Tehran, thinking "Hmmmmm.....there are Americans to the east of us! Hmmmmm.....there are Americans to the west of us! This could be very important. What could all of this mean?"
They might also be thinking "There are Russians to the north of us, who don't like what our radicals have done in Chechnya..." Right now, Iran is squeezed left, right, and top: and at the bottom, the Persian Gulf is an unsympathetic neighbor. Interesting times for the mullahs! :D

[Zander]

Syria...Yep...

[ambidextrous1]

Wilderbill, I heard the same thing about Iran being ready for a new government from a former Iranian who has been in this country for about 15 years, He talks occasionally with friends & family who are still there.

If you & I are aware of this, we can be sure that the Gov't is too, and that means we probably won't do anything to Iran at this time.

But heck, as long as we have 1/3 Million battle-tested troops in the neighborhood, why don't we just...sorta...You know!

:evil:

[JackC]

Iran has been very quiet and cooperative during the war. They must be getting smarter.
And the ground pounders need to go north to the top of Iraq, and split into 2 groups. One goes right to North Korea, other goes left to France.
Jack

[Jeff White]

Let's see, we've got unfinished work in Afghanistan..we're still losing soldiers there, but it doesn't make the news much...unfinished work in the Phillipines...and a long way to go till we're finished in Iraq.

Not to mention troops in the Balkans and the Siani. Let's not forget the civil war in Columbia that is escalting....Seems like our plate is pretty full. I think Iran will have to wait...

Jeff

[Zander]

I think Iran will have to wait... -- Jeff WhiteShhh...don't get in the way of progress. :cool:

[Braz]

Talibn... 90 days
Saddam... 30 days
N. Korea...
Syria...
France...
Watch your ***...

[foghornl]

I can't call them "banana republics", but I am sure that a lot of those third world thug-ocracies run by 7th grade punky boys are wringing out their shorts right now....as they should be.

"...Either you are with US, or your are against US..." President George W. Bush

[CZ-75]

I'm not so sure about what we should do with Iran. They have an elected govt. stonewalled against unelected religious authorities who have absolute veto power and control the military and police.

The best I can hope for is that we fund all pro-democracy groups inside Iran and that they rile the people up enough that they become emboldened to overthrow the old guard. Khatami could then ask for US assistance and we could enter in support of the legally elected govt. and the people in their civil war.

[trooper]

Look, someone being against Iran's unelected religious authorities and for democratic change is not necessarily pro-US.

Khatami would never ask for US armed support because this would totally discredit him throughout the whole Muslim world. Even among the moderate muslims there is no great liking for the US.

Don't misunderstand me, I think that supporting democratic reform movements is generally a good idea, but it could also compromise them among their fellow countrymen as "foreign/western-controlled".


Regards,

Trooper

[CZ-75]

Political expediency makes strange bedfellows. His a-- would be grass if he lost to the Theocrats, so being discredited would be the least of his worries in that situation.

And you're right, even "moderate" muslims don't care much for us. Same with "moderate" European countries.

[TallPine]

I don't think we will need to do anything.

I think Iran will just play in their own sandbox for a long time ...

:cool:

[trooper]

All right... I could go on and state once more that most decent people over here in Europe hold no grudge against the US whatsoever, but disagree with some of the American takes on international politics... but... naw, too tired. Just one more night shift to go :-)


Regards,

Trooper

[OF]

If Syria continues to pursue this death wish they have exhibited over the last few weeks I don't know who we're going to be able to ignore it.

- Gabe

[hops]

WSJ had an interesting commentary on the effect to Iran. Iraq has Shiite's holiest of hoy places. Their Iman, Ayatollah Ali Mohammed Sistani is top Shiite Cleric - higher than the clowns running Iran.

The Iraq's Shiite clerics believe in a seperatiion of Church and State. While Khomeini Iran Shiite Clerics believe that the Church is the State.

With today's assaination of Iraq's, Hojat al-Islam Abdel Majid al-khoi, son of the late grand Ayatollah Khoi who was Iraq's supreme religious leader for 40 years and a propoent of the seperation of church and state, today, I see Iran's hand in this.

Khoi's son was the right hand man of Ayatollah Sistani, who is 75 years old.

Iran's ruling clerics are terrified.

edited to add:

just read more about the assisination so may not Iran being involved but per WSJ article they are concerned.

[CMichael]

I hope the US maintains bases in eastern part of Iraq. That should make Iran a bit nervious :D

[Navy joe]

Iran, although repressive, has a semblance of self-determination in that all the protestors don't end up dead. Ever seen Iraqi students riot in the streets in the last 20 years? Umm, nope. Leave the Iranians to figure their own mess out, eventually the hardliners will go. Not a half bad people, and unlike the wahabbi arabs across the puddle they will usually overwhelmingly go for nationalism over radical islam. Syria ain't dumb either, they will curtail themselves for a good while in fear of a good ols fashioned whupping. The next stop is somewhere we've already been fighting a long time and that could have regional implications far worse than Iraq. Columbia, it is only going to get worse down there for us, we don't need to be there, but we will be in force I fear.

[Kharn]

The whole middle east could be considered a target rich environment. I just hope their method of chosing the next target is more sophistocated than "Enie Meanie Minie Moe" (althought, it practically boils down to that with so many screwballs in charge over there).

Kharn

[trooper]

The whole middle east could be considered a target rich environment.

Translation: the whole middle east is full of people that I strongly dislike.

Could be, but this is not exactly the greatest justification for another war. A lot of muslims already think that it's all about the most powerful christian nation wiping out non-compliant muslim states, especially after GWB's dumb comment about the "crusade against terrorism".
Another war against a muslim country with no better reason will most certainly firmly unite all believers of Islam against the US.

While some people might say, "Well, I don't care and we can kick their collective butt anytime again", I don't think it's a smart thing to do. It will pull the US deeper into a decade-long, low-level conflict that will permanently require large US forces in the area. It will also further isolate the US.


Regards,

Trooper

[edited for misspelling]

[Kharn]

Trooper:
Many of the states in Middle East have engaged in terrorist actions at one time or another, so how many nations get to meet the US military up-close-and-person depends on how far W wants to ride the anti-terrorism train.

I'm just sitting here in my chair on the internet, and I dont have any stars or medals on my chest (nor a fancy title on my door), so my liking or disliking of those states really doesnt factor into the big picture.

Kharn

[Gary H]

We won't leave Iraq via Syria, or Iran. In Syria, we will have some leverage. They will be hurting after their source of Iraqi oil revenues dries up. They could be hurting should Turkey play ball. Syria needs money. I don't think that their Russian friends have much to give. We are hoping for peaceful sectarian changes in Iran. At the center of all of this is Bush's soon to be revealed next move with respect to the number one issue in the region. I think that Israel is ready to give up the settlements and Bush will propose the U.S. mediated framework for a Palestinian state.

North Korea is a wild card. It really is China's turn to make a move. They control this situation. We will see. N.K. is now willing to enter multi-lateral talks. Maybe China decided that we all needed to take a deep breath before things get out of hand.

French, German and Russian payback might come in the form of the U.S. push for countries to forgive Iraqi debt. That will certainly not go down easily. We will see...

Sounds good... if only I really had a clue.:confused::D