The Islamic Republic of Iran has been headlining the halls of international fearful relations for decades now. The USA acting as the unitary world police of global peace has been unable to halt Iran in its determination to be a thorn in the flesh of the global community.
I remember when I first became cognizant of Iran as a not too friendly nation, it was when I heard news reports that Iran wanted to remove Israel from the world map. That, I thought, was inhumanely heartless. Should the policymakers in Iran step into hell they probably would neutralize the heat with their ice cold hearts.
Several months ago I was breathing a sigh of relief when I saw that the Iranian presidential election was likely to have a winner other than the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. My hope was short lived when the Iranian supreme leader intervened and declared Ahmadinejad the winner.
The Iranian president has put a face to Iran’s anti western ambitions and is doing a tremendous job of it unfortunately. They have continued to enrich uranium in their quest to create nuclear energy, which is tantamount to creating nuclear weapons. Of course, the Iranian official take on this is that the rest of the civilized world has no need to worry about Iran using its nuclear capabilities to create world war three.
They would have to forgive me as I find that hard to believe. Off the record, I am certain that Mr Ahmadinejad and the Iranian dark knights would admit they can’t give up an opportunity to have nuclear energy to fuel their infrastructural services and not fulfil their dream of removing Israel. Maybe the nuclear energy they speak of is to diffuse Israel.
The UN also has been trying for years to get its inspectors on the ground in Tehran to see first hand exactly what Iran's nuclear activities are focused on. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seems likely to have clearance to visit in the upcoming weeks. Is that going to be another run in the maze visit?
Article comments
1 - spring
let me make it clear when you say Apocalypse, what is in your mind: annihilation of Zionist Regime(not the Jewish state or any other country) along with Capitalism and Imperialism. yes this will happen sooner than you think. not by any war or nuclear weapon, but by the power of people around the world. in this path we are all with Ahmadinejad: a great leader and a hero.
2 - dariousch
the problem with the western country is that they compare iranian nation with some bare feet arabs. in reality iranian government at this time now has the ability to destroy 4 times the whole the world . to kill some nuclear scientist will not help anyone. dariousch
3 - Ashford Daniel
Dariousch, you make an intriguing standing order point. It is obviously scary to grapple with the reality that any one nation---and hence any one leader--can choose to end 7 000 000 000 and more lives just like that.
I agree that the assassination of a few scientists is the proverbial drop in a bucket. However, these matters always have a lot more flowing below the surface than what the public sees. It goes to reason that whoever is behind such assassinations have other measures in their arsenal.
My final point is that your comments directly implies that Iran is already persuaded that it is going to use its nuclear powers for mass destruction. So what future is Iran paving for its own citizens like yourself?
4 - Glenn Contrarian
"Libya, Egypt, and Syria" are NOT 'brothers' to Iran. Why? Because they are Sunni, and Iran is Shi'a. Ashford, please understand that I mean no personal offense, but any article that lumps Iran (and now Iraq, thanks to Bush) in with the rest of the Muslim world without addressing the Sunni/Shi'a schism is suspect at best...and this is because the Sunni/Shi'a schism is much deeper than, say, the Catholic/Protestant schism.
I recommend you read "The Shi'a Revival" by Vali Nasr, who taught at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and was on the recommended reading list of U.S. Naval officers. The most pertinent quote therein is by the (at the time) al-Qaeda's #2 man (Zarkawi, I think); "Keep up the fight against America and Israel, but never forget the real enemy is the apostate Shi'a."
That's not an exact quote, but the meaning is exactly the same. America and Israel are the excuse, but nuclear-armed Sunni Pakistan is the REASON. Iran's leaders are not stupid - they would not bomb America or Israel because they know what would happen as a result. They want nukes because of Pakistan, in order to have the same kind of deterrent against nuclear attack that Israel has had for three decades - nuclear weapons of its own.
5 - Dr Dreadful
It's also highly unlikely that any nuclear arsenal Iran may have assembled or be planning to assemble could kill all 7 billion members of the human race. Even the Tsar Bomba, the most powerful device ever detonated, didn't have anything like that capability.
6 - roger nowosielski
True as that may be, it's futile to divert the contrarian from his idée fixe.
7 - Glenn Contrarian
Roger -
That's like telling me I'm fixated on 2+2=4 because I point it out every time other people try to make 2+2 equal a daffodil or a stock market IPO or a kindergarten. You're just looking for an excuse to cut me down...and it's largely because I won't put up with the bovine excrement that you tend to post whenever someone you don't like has the audacity to leave a comment...even when those same people have had the courtesy to back you up and defend you when they didn't have to.
You weren't this way three years ago. You had more of a sense of courtesy and propriety then. But you can lead a horse to water....
8 - Dr Dreadful
Roger, my #5 was in response to Ashford's hyperbolic #3, not to Glenn.
9 - Ashford Daniel
Glen, thank you for your reading suggestion. From reading all the above comments it is evident that the Islamic world is a whole new realm requiring careful communications and diplomacy; however, the state of world affairs suggest more and more that the Iranian government and top western leaders are akin to marshall and outlaw stepping out into the streets for an ultimate showdown that will have global repercussions
10 - peter petterson
The people around the world won't be doing much this year - 2012.
There could well be the rise in a new power in eastern Europe, enveloping the west and then the east.A few upset Arab nations won't be influencing anybidy but themselves.
11 - Ashford Daniel
Peter, if I understand you clearly, you are saying that the Arab Spring has turned into winter, and a little known or expected European nation might very well turn the tables?
It wuld be kind of you to expand on who or what you think this new power would be.