Engage Iran !?

Engage Iran!?....

If Israel does attempt an air strike against Iran's nuclear program, it will do so in response to the visible failure of American diplomacy, and with the tacit permission of Russia - which has the capacity to veto such a strike by giving Iran anti-aircraft missiles of sufficient capability (or by not giving Israel the key to the counter-measures, for Russia never sells a weapons system to another country that it cannot neutralize)......

Bush & Cheney's attempts to generate a casus belli for military action, absent solid evidence, makes America weak and insufficient to drive policy. The impediment to progress and peace in the Middle-East is, in-part, largely attributed to America's blind, arrogant and ignorant foreign policy. Military solutions are not working. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see making the same decisions over again and again do not produce different results. So why continue? Will America ever learn!

Bush's obstinate approach to Iran coupled with false accusations and threats of military retaliation dispel lingering doubts about his credibility. Remember the purported evidence Powell presented at the UN against Iraq was irrevocably debunked, but sadly after-the-fact. Powell even admits he knew it was bogus, but gave the presentation anyway.

There is no reason for that to happen again. However last September 2006, a senior aide to International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohammed El-Baradei sent a letter to the head of the House of Representatives' Select Committee on Intelligence, accusing the congressional committee's August 23 report of seriously distorting the IAEA findings on Iran's activity calling parts of it "outrageous and dishonest." Having falsified information before and since apparently the WH administration has no compunction about starting another war based on fiction and fabrication.

After years of hard work El Baradei, head of IAEA, progress with Iran may unravel if threats are not toned down. Diplomatic efforts hindered by Bush & Cheney's unrelenting demands for Iran to shut down its nuclear reactors suggest that may be intentional. Simultaneously Bush & Cheney claiming to seek diplomatic measures while lobbing accusations against Iran suspends all credulity. Heretofore questions whether the Iranian perceived "crisis" can be reconciled absent direct communication strongly insinuates diplomatic relations are not their goal. They'd rather attack. http://securityinnovator.com/index.php

Either some forgot or did not know in 2003 Reuter's reported the Iranian Foreign Minister floated the prospect in a memo stating they were willing to converse with the US on diverse subjects ranging from uranium enrichment to anti-Israel and terrorism. The message, sent thru back channels via the Swiss, stated Iran was open to addressing America's & Israel's concerns, but Cheney & Bush declined, said no. Why would they do that if they did not have plans to invade Iran!

Some may be surprised to learn the Iranian government had been co-operating with the US....and Israel, through Larijani, the grand son of a Tehran Jewish Merchant ....

"[s]ince... the winter of 2001, Tehran had turned over hundreds of people to U.S. allies and provided U.S. intelligence with the names, photographs and fingerprints of those it held in custody, according to senior U.S. intelligence and administration officials. In early 2003, it offered to hand over the remaining high-value targets directly to the United States if Washington would turn over a group of exiled Iranian militants hiding in Iraq."

Iran is in full compliance with the NPT of which they are a signatory. In contrast as soon as Bush came to office he refused to ratify the treaty.

Despite Bush asserting otherwise, Arab opinions in the Middle-East are in direct contrast in regards to a "nuclear-armed Iran."

"A former Egyptian ambassador rebutted Mr. Hadley's claim that Arab countries feel deeply threatened by Iran's nuclear program. "We have lived beneath Israel's nuclear weapons for many years, so even if Iran gets nuclear weapons it wouldn't be anything new. Anyway, they are not that close to it," he said."

If Iran does acquire a nuclear weapon it would likely be for deterrence only. Moreover having not attacked another nation in over 200 years Iran is not about to now unless attacked first. The Iranians are not so stupid as to commit suicide. They know it would be instantaneous suicide considering the US would immediately bomb them to hell and back. Iran has no reason to nuke Russia, India, Pakistan, China, or Israel (all of which are nuclear armed) Plus Israel can take care of itself with an arsenal of 300 - 400 nuclear weapons.

Another illogical statement often made accusing Iran of smuggling weapons into Iraq to kill US soldiers is dubious! First of all, if that was the case why would Iran make weapons with their logo on it in English? They are just as nervous about a destabilized Middle-East as the rest of the region.

While Bush and Cheney struggle to engage us in yet another war the consequences will be dire for all concerned. Furthermore should Bush-Cheney attack Iran, whose missiles cannot reach the US, Iran will retaliate. Any US military aggression in Iran guarantees massive numbers including our soldiers in the region will die.

Almost on a daily basis revelations about the administration's dishonesty surfaces. Will Americans allow them to fan dangle us into another war based on false allegations? Again by demonstrating a willingness to mislead and misinform Americans, threatening to use military means against Iran based on unsupported allegations Bush exposes the ugly underbelly of the beast: war, regardless absent any proof or solid evidence -- they'll make it up. Under International law, nations may unilaterally use force only in response to an objectively verifiable attack or threat of imminent attack.

Stop threatening Iran. Stop using the troops as a means for regime change. Make different choices. Engage Iran.

It is easy to start wars; it is much more difficult to communicate diplomatic wisdom. The former displays weakness, the latter, strength.