Lets go, we need an active thread.... (IRAN)

[Spoiled]

So what do you folks think about the Iran situation... I dont think the US will go there (alone atleast).... well with military for battle atleast, i think we are already there spying, trying to find a a reason to get the UN to pay them a visit, if not the UN then NATO... Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq... would be a nice little line for democracy and freedom...


edit:
We cant go there, would truely make it a war on islam, since once again we did nothing about N.Korea and we did do something to the muslims...

 

[Railroad]

I think the fundamental question is, "where are the terrorists?" Some of the insurgents, it is known, actually came to Iraq from Iran in recent months. I wouldn't be surprised if their supplies originated in Iran as well. North Korea, on the other hand, is periodically rattling a plastic sabre trying to attract attention and get some financial concessions. It's becoming a standard tactic of theirs, with the standard response being to almost ignore them.

 

[FromTexas]

Would you like to point to how North Korea is a larger threat than Iran?

I love how everyone talks about North Korea --

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/kn.html

Go read about them and tell me how the threat of a falling apart, barely industrialized, isolationist nation with very poor fiscal resources is a bigger threat than a country full of religious zealots with large fiscal resources, significant capabilities for modern nuclear/biological research, and a strong belief that they will be martyrs and win in any holy war with God on their side.

Now, on to the other issue, we don't have a reason to step in Iran like we did Iraq. Saddam gave us reasons due to his not following the terms he should have after losing the Gulf War. However, spying on a country that harbors/supports terrorists who take actions against you is they way it should be. You don't remain the most powerful kid on the block by closing your eyes to the rest of the world. Taking covert military actions inside such countries to disable any training camps, destroy any labs making illlicit materials, etc... is also a given.

 

[ylexot]

Hmmm, not sure. Good point about Iran/NK, but I wouldn't say that it would "truely" be a war on Islam. It would, however, make the perception of it being a war on Islam stronger. Perception does not equal truth. I don't think we have a problem with Islam (at least I don't), we have a problem with certain factions of Islam that preach that the US is evil and needs to be destroyed.

There were articles recently about us sending UAVs into Iran to spy and Iran threatening to shoot them down. Frankly, I'm surprised they didn't shoot them down. Our craft (allegedly) violated their airspace. They have the right to shoot them down. The questions then are do they have the ability to shoot them down and, if so, are they holding back so that they don't reveal their defenses?

 

[Spoiled]

Hmmm, not sure. Good point about Iran/NK, but I wouldn't say that it would "truely" be a war on Islam. It would, however, make the perception of it being a war on Islam stronger. Perception does not equal truth. I don't think we have a problem with Islam (at least I don't), we have a problem with certain factions of Islam that preach that the US is evil and needs to be destroyed.

There were articles recently about us sending UAVs into Iran to spy and Iran threatening to shoot them down. Frankly, I'm surprised they didn't shoot them down. Our craft (allegedly) violated their airspace. They have the right to shoot them down. The questions then are do they have the ability to shoot them down and, if so, are they holding back so that they don't reveal their defenses?

They probably cant shoot them down, that or we chose spots to fly over which werent protected well?

 

[rraley]

I highly doubt that the Bush Administration will decide to invade Iran (I think that a bombing campaign of nuclear facilities is more likely). I would like to think that the Bush Administration understands that an invasion attempt of Iran would face even stronger opposition from the world community, would only stretch our troops thiner, and could include the wrath of Syria, which has announced the creation of a "united front" with Iran.

 

[2ndAmendment]

... and could include the wrath of Syria, which has announced the creation of a "united front" with Iran.

That is not a credible threat. Syria is a paper tiger run by thugs that oppress their own people. They have 1970's technology military. Iran is more credible, but is similar in that they are run by Islamic zealots that oppress anyone that does not agree with them.

The best thing that can happen in the region is for the new government in Iraq to succeed. The people of Iran and Syria will see that it can happen and the lives of the elite rulers of Syria and Iran will become more threatened.

 

[Railroad]

The best thing that can happen in the region is for the new government in Iraq to succeed. The people of Iran and Syria will see that it can happen and the lives of the elite rulers of Syria and Iran will become more threatened.

I'm with ya there!

 

[Bruzilla]

I would just like to know how long the "We're only out to get peaceful nuclear power" BS is going to keep working. We've heard that from Pakistan, India, Iraq, North Korea, and now Iran. And in every instance to date, except for the Iraqi's losing their reactor to an Israeli attack, to the surprise and shock of peace lovers everywhere... these countries suddenly have nuclear weapons programs. A reactor is nothing more than a bomb factory, and when we hear that some third world country only wants a reactor to produce electricity for its people, when most of them don't have much use for electricity, we should whistle up some Israeli Air Force F-16s and put them to use.

 

[Larry Gude]

Iran...you ran, we all ran...

So what do you folks think about the Iran situation

In another forum, about music actually, I engaged in a running conversation with a kid wanting to know what kind of amp to buy. He lives in Iran. This kid knows more, EVERYTHING, about various forms of metal music, from 'black metal' to 'death metal' and a million points in between, than I'd ever even heard of. His concerns was not Ayatollahs and being carted off to a dungeon for playing devil worship music. His concern was being ripped of by the local music equipment merchant as he would mislabel equipment and sell used as new and so forth. He actually made fun of my perceptions of life in Iran.

I had a customer here who was from Iran. Biggest pain in the ass. Wanted maximum quality and service for minimum dollar. Freakin' capitalist through and through. He wanted a bigger house, faster car and a tall blonde with big hooters. He said when he was growing up the problem was he was from the 'wrong' village and was disciminated against big time in grade school.

So, based on these interactions, I would tell you the oppression is alot less than we might think.

I think democracy in Iraq will change the region, hence the world, for the better over the next decade or two.

 

[Hessian]

You know...

Things worked so well when they were content to kill each other over trivial religious issues. Shiite, Sunni, Kurd,.etc etc. Sectarian violence would seem to distract them from progress...so: Find the underdog...motivate & arm them, then sit back and watch. They will be far more interested in protecting their goat & satelite dish than in building nukes.

But seriously...we can't just jump on the bandwagon of someone who claims to be a moderate. We would be better off testing one of our EMI bombs and screwing up their radio & circuitry. Why is Putin so interested in helping these radicals especially with his crushing of the Moslem wackos & school bombing/theatre hostages etc. Is he doing it just to irk us???

 

[FromTexas]

You know, what Larry says above makes me once again ponder how much the information age (internet, satellite based services, etc...) is really the biggest "weapon" for democracy/capitalism that has ever been built. If they have the know how, they can get access to it.

 

[2ndAmendment]

You know, what Larry says above makes me once again ponder how much the information age (internet, satellite based services, etc...) is really the biggest "weapon" for democracy/capitalism that has ever been built. If they have the know how, they can get access to it.

Not really. Some countries like China have blocked many sites or whole ranges of IPs at their gateway routers. A country can control, just like you ISP can, what gets in and out on the net unless you have satellite Internet access with both up link and down link.

 

[Bruzilla]

a tall blonde with big hooters.

I need one of those myself. Might I ask where you referred him to?