War in Iran: Outsourcing Iran: Wishful thinking or green light?

Hungry for more

After an inaugural speech by President George Bush that many around the world felt was a harbinger for the expansion of the “Bush Doctrine” (from three members of the “Axis of Evil” to six “outposts of tyranny“), and with tensions between the US and Iran growing in light of rumored US commando missions in Iran, Vice President Dick Cheney offered a prediction/threat/suggestion of his own. In an interview with radio contrarian Don Imus, Cheney suggested that Israel “might well decide to act first” in order to stop Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program. “If in fact the Israelis became convinced the Iranians had significant nuclear capability,” said Cheney, “the Israelis might well decide to act first and let the rest of the world worry about cleaning up the diplomatic mess afterward.” (Because, of course, the US certainly won’t do it.) Seen by most people as a prod for Europe to deliver results on its diplomatic moves, the frank warning caused Israel to shy away from the spotlight (no attack is “imminent“, Israeli government spokespeople say) and got a forceful reaction from Iran. (Fourteen years ago, Cheney offered a similar warning to Iraq before Gulf War I, but warned of an Israeli nuclear strike – an embarassing admission that was left out of the latest threat.) Iran, which is by all accounts playing nuclear poker with its cards held close to its chest, called any future military strike on it a “strategic blunder” and placed its hopes on the lack of international support for such a move. “There are no good military options,” said James Carafano, a military expert with the conservative Heritage Foundation, regarding a possible US invasion of Iran. “We couldn’t do another large scale ground operation.”

Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.