It appears the Bush/Cheney drive to further demonize Iran has begun this week. Juan Cole points me to the shallow reasoning of Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice on Iran/U.S. relations. We have Rice saying that we must prevent Iran from filling the vacuum in Iraq, whatever that means. Robin Wright reports on Rice's words in The Washington Post:
""Iran is a very troublesome neighbor, and I would note that President [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad said that if the United States leaves Iraq, Iran is prepared to fill the vacuum," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on NBC's "Today" show yesterday. "That is what is at stake here.""
And ABC News reports more of Rice's comments as reported by Anne Flaherty of the AP:
""That is what is at stake here," Rice said. "What we are prepared to do is to complete the security gains that we've been making, to create circumstances in which an Iraqi government and local officials can find political accommodation, as they are doing in Anbar, and to be able then, from Iraq, with allies in the war on terror, to resist both terrorism and Iranian aggression.""
Note that then Rice adds, "[t]hat is what is at stake here." Please someone interpret this for me. It would seem Rice is trying to scare Americans into supporting some sort of attack against Iran because otherwise Iran will influence the government of Iraq. And since Bush and Cheney hate Iran, the U.S. will do everything in its power to stymie Iran as far as its relations with Iraq. But the mere words themselves say nothing. What is "at stake" may in fact augur well for the future of Iraq. Rice does not elaborate. But the innuendo behind this phrase is aimed at sexing up the neo-cons' campaign against Iran without any rational basis.
But is it really so bad that Iran influences a neighboring country? Perhaps Iran will exert a calming influence over the bloody civil strife in Iraq. Perhaps Iran will caution the Iraqi Shiites who are looking for revenge against the Sunnis. Perhaps it would benefit Iraq to have Iran fill the lawless vacuum created by the U.S. invasion and occupation. Perhaps with Iran's cooperation, Iraq might attain a period of peace in which the rule of law can prevail.
Bush and Co., in their zeal to attack and invade Iraq, have created the worst and most catastrophic foreign policy disaster in U.S. history. They must not be allowed to further compound their fiasco by attacking Iran.
""Iran is a very troublesome neighbor, and I would note that President [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad said that if the United States leaves Iraq, Iran is prepared to fill the vacuum," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on NBC's "Today" show yesterday. "That is what is at stake here.""
And ABC News reports more of Rice's comments as reported by Anne Flaherty of the AP:
""That is what is at stake here," Rice said. "What we are prepared to do is to complete the security gains that we've been making, to create circumstances in which an Iraqi government and local officials can find political accommodation, as they are doing in Anbar, and to be able then, from Iraq, with allies in the war on terror, to resist both terrorism and Iranian aggression.""
Note that then Rice adds, "[t]hat is what is at stake here." Please someone interpret this for me. It would seem Rice is trying to scare Americans into supporting some sort of attack against Iran because otherwise Iran will influence the government of Iraq. And since Bush and Cheney hate Iran, the U.S. will do everything in its power to stymie Iran as far as its relations with Iraq. But the mere words themselves say nothing. What is "at stake" may in fact augur well for the future of Iraq. Rice does not elaborate. But the innuendo behind this phrase is aimed at sexing up the neo-cons' campaign against Iran without any rational basis.
But is it really so bad that Iran influences a neighboring country? Perhaps Iran will exert a calming influence over the bloody civil strife in Iraq. Perhaps Iran will caution the Iraqi Shiites who are looking for revenge against the Sunnis. Perhaps it would benefit Iraq to have Iran fill the lawless vacuum created by the U.S. invasion and occupation. Perhaps with Iran's cooperation, Iraq might attain a period of peace in which the rule of law can prevail.
Bush and Co., in their zeal to attack and invade Iraq, have created the worst and most catastrophic foreign policy disaster in U.S. history. They must not be allowed to further compound their fiasco by attacking Iran.
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