tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37179942.post5414434303200177702..comments2023-10-22T05:51:58.898-04:00Comments on Soob: Jay@Soobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208597218366281778noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37179942.post-31163046082660900112007-04-24T17:29:00.000-04:002007-04-24T17:29:00.000-04:00Steve,I hope your right. One positive aspect (perh...Steve,<BR/>I hope your right. One positive aspect (perhaps the only) of the Democrats stonewalling the EF bill is that it lessens the likelyhood of GW acting against Iran. <BR/><BR/>Adam,<BR/><BR/>Nice angle on the Hirsch story. If there were real intentions (as Hirsch contends) to attack Iran then I think you're right.Jay@Soobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12208597218366281778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37179942.post-62850633964375858372007-04-24T14:22:00.000-04:002007-04-24T14:22:00.000-04:00As to Steve's comment, I think that the reporting ...As to Steve's comment, I think that the reporting on an Iran attack (Hersh, etc) may have played a role in preventing it.aelkushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02250169760199903577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37179942.post-43524384068375811512007-04-23T19:31:00.000-04:002007-04-23T19:31:00.000-04:00On the other hand, there have been predictions of ...On the other hand, there have been predictions of an attack on Iran for years now (by Seymour Hirsh among many others) and there haven't been any. I think everyone is just locked into blustering about it.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09756943975692131137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37179942.post-42896708198432600822007-04-22T09:28:00.000-04:002007-04-22T09:28:00.000-04:00I've looked at this in some theoretical detail her...I've looked at this in some theoretical detail <A HREF="http://soobdujour.blogspot.com/2007/01/wary-of-island-we-run-afoul-of-shoal.html" REL="nofollow">here.</A><BR/><BR/>To make a long story short I've resisted the notion that the Bush "big bang" (to quote T. Barnett) approach to the middle east includes Iran for the very reasons you and I lay out. It's shortsighted, assbackwards and will be very much counter-effective to stabilising the ME. <BR/>Instead I've thought our negative rhetoric and sabre rattling was more in line with containing Israel whose next ruling party (Likud) takes Ahmadinejad's blustering very seriously. This combined with the prospect of nuclear proliferation may well be enough to spark an Israeli pre-emptive strike on Iran.<BR/>By talking and walking tough we mitigate that scenario (and the nightmare that would follow.) <BR/><BR/>However as time passes and the rhetoric heats up I'm less hopeful.Jay@Soobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12208597218366281778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37179942.post-37775228197108371182007-04-21T22:22:00.000-04:002007-04-21T22:22:00.000-04:00Iran could be a significant American ally in the M...Iran could be a significant American ally in the Middle East, with a mutually beneficial relationship, and yet the Bush administration persists in targeting Iran for no apparent good reason. I've never been able to understand this - surely it's time to move on from the 1970s hostage crisis?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com