Confronting Iran
The Counterterror blog muses about how we will approach the new leadership in Iran and handle the Iran problem in general.
Having just finished Kenneth Pollack's The Persian Puzzle, I drew one main conclusion: Don't exhibit weakness. Pollack gives example after example of the U.S. negotiating from a position of weakness and finding the Iranians striking out at us when they sensed our timidity. He explains that what seems like an attempt at accommodation on our part (and even worse on the part of Europeans in the 80s and 90s) is often viewed as weakness not only by Iran, but also by other Middle Eastern nations (the Saudis in particular) who we may need to help us if the Iran showdown finally comes.
Given that main conclusion, I am glad we have President Bush in the White House as unlike Carter, Clinton and Kerry, he is not a man of half-measures and U.N.-speak.
Politics
Having just finished Kenneth Pollack's The Persian Puzzle, I drew one main conclusion: Don't exhibit weakness. Pollack gives example after example of the U.S. negotiating from a position of weakness and finding the Iranians striking out at us when they sensed our timidity. He explains that what seems like an attempt at accommodation on our part (and even worse on the part of Europeans in the 80s and 90s) is often viewed as weakness not only by Iran, but also by other Middle Eastern nations (the Saudis in particular) who we may need to help us if the Iran showdown finally comes.
Given that main conclusion, I am glad we have President Bush in the White House as unlike Carter, Clinton and Kerry, he is not a man of half-measures and U.N.-speak.
Politics
posted by SCP at 1:41 PM
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