Friday, January 30, 2009

What The President Must Understand About Iran

The Iranian problem extends well beyond their long-held intent to obtain a nuclear weapon.  The Republic of Iran seeks the return to Islamic fundamentalism and calls for an alteration to the mindset of the world at large in favor of Islamic values and beliefs.  In point of fact, the constitution of Iran boldly declares that its purpose is "to bring about the conditions under which the lofty and worldwide values' of Islam will flourish."  The government of Iran in its current form will never accept a "secular" America, nor will they allow the continued existence of Israel; America's strongest ally in the region.  President Obama must recognize and accept this harsh fact and through that recognition he must form a sustainable Middle East strategy that will protect America's interests and the interests of her allies.

Repairing foreign opinion of America has been one of the new president's most critical concerns.  Going so far as to pronounce during his television interview with al-Arabiya that he is seeking warmer relations, Mr. Obama has made it clear that he wishes that we could all get along.  No doubt Obama will do as much as he can in an attempt to come to a peaceful resolution with a hostile nation.

While his intentions can perhaps be construed as noble, Mr. Obama is in danger of making the dangerous mistake of extending the proverbial olive branch too far.  When dealing with extremist nations, the religion and especially the religion of the government must not be overlooked.  Although he hopes to convince the American public and the world at large that Islam can in fact be a peaceful nation, Obama negates the fact that the rulers of Iran are extreme fundamentalists.  Religion does not just impact the decisions that are made at the top levels of the Iranian government, it is what dictates that those decisions be made. 

Ultimately, America will have to go to war with Iran in order to ensure its own protection and safety.  Maybe that war will take place during the next four years.  Maybe the next president will be left holding the ball and he (or she) will have to determine the proper course of action.  Inevitably, unless a drastic overhaul of the governmnet takes place, Iran will obtain a nuclear weapon and that weapon will be used to bully and initmidate the Western world.  The fear of such a threat should be made a reality for this new president and the almost inconcievable concern that such weapon capablitites will fall into the hands of terrorist groups the likes of Hezbollah, must impact foreign policy at all levels. 

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