Justin,

What a shame.

I was looking forward to seeing how you dealt with the substantive points that I raised in my last message. But you couldn’t hack it. Instead of rolling up your intellectual sleeves and going about this dialogue in a reasoned and respectful manner, you attempted to drag it down to the level of a schoolyard brawl. You launched into an angry tirade of personal attacks and extraneous taunts, demonstrating the truth of the adage that “those who cannot argue inevitably choose to vilify.”

Justin, your temper tantrum and verbal mudslinging cannot obscure the fact that Iran remains a threat to Israel, the United States, and the entire Western world. Tehran’s illicit rush to acquire nuclear weapons has raised concerns across the political spectrum in both Europe and the United States. Ignoring this danger will not make it go away.

I showed that three of your key assertions were entirely baseless and without merit. I brought you facts, quotes, and proofs, and challenged you to rebut them. Here are several other questions for you to consider, and once again I challenge you to address them head-on:

If Iran had nothing to hide about its nuclear program, then why did they conceal its existence from the international community for over 18 years? And if their program was intended solely for peaceful purposes, then why have they repeatedly interfered with inspections and imposed restrictions on access to their nuclear sites?

If Iran does not wish to threaten the U.S., then why are they racing to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach North America? If their sole aim were to destroy Israel, then why is Iran investing so much time, effort, and money to develop warhead delivery systems that can reach Washington and New York?

If Iran has no devious intentions vis-à-vis Israel and the U.S., then why does Tehran provide training, guidance, and financial support to terrorist groups committed to their destruction and defeat, such as Hamas, Hizbullah, Islamic Jihad, and the Iraqi insurgency?

If Iranian leaders do not wish to destroy Israel and the U.S., then why have they consistently and repeatedly said in public that that is precisely what they wish to do?

In between the name-calling and ad-hominem attacks in your previous reply, you challenged the veracity of quotes in which senior Iranian officials call for the destruction of Israel and the United State. You seem to think the lack of hyperlinks in my e-mail somehow casts doubt on the authenticity of these statements.

Well, if it is hyperlinks you want, here are a few you might find enlightening. First, this Associated Press story from August 3, 2006, headlined, “Ahmadinejad: Destroy Israel, End Crisis,” which quotes the Iranian president at length on his desire to eliminate the Jewish state. I suggest that you also read the New York Times report here, in which Ahmadinejad calls for Israel to be “wiped off the map.”

In addition, I refer you to compilations of quotes from the Iranian leader, which can be found here and here. A simple Google search reveals many more such results. All of this demonstrates conclusively that Iran’s top political and spiritual leaders have genocidal intentions—not only towards Jews, but towards Americans as well.

The logic behind your opposition to bombing Iran has boiled down to this: We do not need to fear Iran because, well, we just don’t.

Now, that kind of reasoning (if one can call it that) might be adequate when you are discussing, say, the merits of Barry Bonds’ record-breaking homerun totals over a couple of beers. But when it comes to addressing issues of grave international significance, this sort of “logic” is neither compelling nor useful.

The bottom line is this: the Iranian leadership openly threatens Israel and the United States with destruction, and they are investing heavily in the tools necessary to carry this out. How we choose to respond to this threat will determine not just the fate of our families, our children, and our societies, but of our very way of life.

Justin, you and others prefer to hide your heads in the sand and ignore this uncomfortable reality. But for those of us who take issues of life and death just a wee bit more seriously, there is no escaping the unavoidable and necessary conclusion: Bomb Iran now, before it is too late.

NEXT: A "Special Relationship," indeed

The post The Logic of an Ostrich, the Temper of a Bully appeared first on Jewcy.

How nice it would be to live in a world without threats, dangers, or enemies, where the greatest hazard one might face would be spilling the morning latte while strutting over to the PC. You appear to inhabit such a fantasy world, Justin, and I wish you well. Unfortunately, though, the rest of mankind—and particularly the West—does not.

And much as we might wish it to be otherwise, policymaking has got to be based on reality, rather than on daydreams and flights of fancy. You see, Justin, out here in the real world, people such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei want to kill you and your family and destroy our collective way of life.

They do not hide their intentions, nor do they conceal their efforts. You can cover your ears and pretend that the problem will simply go away, but that isn’t how things work in the real world. You would have us believe that Iran does not pose a threat at all—neither to Israel nor to the U.S.—and that the regime in Tehran has been fully compliant with the demands of the international community. Your assertions are laughable, and demonstrate an alarming (if blissful) ignorance. I suggest you check your facts before making such baseless assertions. Let’s go point by point. Justin’s myth #1: Iran “represents no threat to America.” Fact: Iranian leaders have repeatedly and explicitly threatened the United States. Last August, Iran’s so-called Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, said, “The American regime can expect a resounding slap and a devastating first-blow from the Muslim nation.” And Iranian President Ahmadinejad has vowed that, “God willing…we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism.” Tehran has backed up its words by steadily improving its ballistic missile capability. The Iranian Shihab-3 missile, with a range of 1200 km (746 miles), has been operational for several years, and can hit all of Israel as well as U.S. military targets in the Middle East. Iranian military leaders have declared that they are working on the Shihab-4, with a range of 2000 km (1,243 miles), that will put parts of Europe within striking
distance, and that they are striving to build even longer-range intercontinental missiles that can hit the United States. All of these weapons have the ability to deliver atomic warheads. Moreover, if Iran were to develop “the bomb,” what is to stop them from putting it into the hands of one of the myriad anti-American terrorist groups they support, such as Hizballah? The threat posed by a nuclear Iran is readily acknowledged across the political spectrum, by Democrats and Republicans alike, and the facts bear out the danger this poses to the U.S. and its interests. Justin’s myth #2: Iran “is no threat to Israel.” Fact: The Iranian leadership has made clear in recent years that they view Israel as “a cancer” that must be removed from the Middle East. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said on countless occasions that “Israel must be wiped off the map.” And former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani speculated publicly a few years back that just one nuclear device would destroy Israel. Iran trains, finances, and guides various terrorist groups that engage in acts of violence against the Jewish state, including Hamas, Hizbullah, and Islamic Jihad. And just six months Tehran played host to an international Holocaust-denial conference. As former CIA Director James Woolsey said, speaking before the Ohio House of Representatives on May 3, “The regime’s threats to destroy Israel and, on a longer time-scale, the United States, are part and parcel of its essence. Recent official statements to this effect represent not a shift in policy. Iran’s regime has defined itself for nearly 30 years by its fundamental hostility to the West, and especially Israel and the United States, which it calls the 'Little Satan' and the 'Great Satan,' respectively.” Justin’s myth #3: Iran “allows unhampered inspections and cooperates with the International Atomic Energy Agency.” Fact: The Iranian nuclear program was revealed in 2002 only after an Iranian exile group held a press conference and disseminated photographs and data regarding the country’s covert nuclear installations. It turned out that Iran had been working in secret for 18 years (!!!) on its nuclear program, which it had concealed from the international community. And the government repeatedly lied about its existence. Indeed, in recent years, since its program became known, Iran has prevented international inspectors from carrying out their work. They have blocked access to various sites, suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a number of times, prohibited snap inspections, and imposed restrictions on the types of monitors allowed to visit certain sites. That is hardly the “unhampered” cooperation that you would have us believe is taking place.

Like it or not, Justin, the facts point to a mounting and compelling threat from Iran, one that is directed not only towards Israel but at the entire Western world. And the sooner you and others wake up and recognize this danger, the more united we can be in confronting it.

Michael

Next: Rid the Middle East of All Nuclear Weapons

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"John Bolton for President!" cried the giddy apparatchiks at Commentary, where Zeyda Podhoretz earns loving, indulgent smiles this month as he inveighs against the Shia Islamofascists of Tehran. But the thought of an atomic ayatollah has got even the odd Guardian contributor feeling twitchy enough to offer a few words in support of Bolton. Now that's a tipping point.

Should we bomb Iran? That's this week's Big Question, put to Michael Freund of the Jerusalem Post and Justin Raimondo of Antiwar.com. Through Thursday afternoon, they'll argue action vs. inaction, warmongering vs. appeasment, bombing vs. diplomacy. Freund leads.

From: Michael Freund To: Justin Raimondo Subject: Bomb Iran Now

Justin,

A few weeks ago, a celebration took place in Tehran that may come to mark a turning point in the history of the Middle East and the entire Western world.

Just as he had been promising for months, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on April 9th a dramatic expansion of his country’s ability to enrich uranium, triumphantly declaring that 3,000 centrifuges had begun operating at the Natanz nuclear facility in central Iran. Centrifuges—which spin and purify uranium gas—produce enriched uranium that can then be used to build a nuclear weapon.

Recently, the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies estimated that once Natanz’s 3,000 centrifuges become operational, it could take as little as nine months for Iranian scientists to generate enough enriched uranium to make an atomic bomb.

So no wonder the day of Ahmadinejad’s announcement was celebrated across Iran as “national nuclear day.” It indicated that by the end of this calendar year, the ayatollahs could very well have their hands on the ultimate weapon of mass destruction.

Iran cannot and must not be allowed to acquire nukes. Israel and the U.S. simply cannot stand by and watch as Tehran goes nuclear and threatens the entire civilized world.

The only way to stop the Atomic Ayatollahs is with potent military action—fast, furious, and fierce. And soon.

The press loves to mock the Iranian president, portraying him as a nut, a kook, and a fanatic. But I take him at his word. He has made quite clear what his objective is, telling us over and over again that he plans to eliminate Israel and destroy the West.

Like it or not, we are all in his crosshairs, and we ignore him at our peril. And that is why it is time to show a little more cou
rage and a lot more determination, and to tackle this threat head-on.

The fact of the matter is that diplomacy has run its course. Its only effect has been to give the Iranians still more time to progress toward achieving their malicious aims.

After the UN Security Council passed a resolution in December insisting that Iran end its uranium-enrichment program, Ahmadinejad dismissed it as “a piece of torn paper” and vowed to expand his country’s nuclear program, which is precisely what he proceeded to do.

For more than a decade, Iran hid its nuclear program from the international community. Its government has interfered with inspections of its nuclear facilities, and repeatedly defied demands to cease and desist from its dangerous actions.

Does anyone really think another UN resolution, and more empty words, are going to do the trick?

And while the West dilly-dallies, the ayatollahs have been busy expanding their military arsenal. Back in November, Iran test-fired dozens of missiles, including the Shihab-3, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and can hit targets up to 1,200 miles away—meaning that all of Israel is now within reach.

And if anyone still doubts Ahmadinejad’s intentions, he made them abundantly clear at the Holocaust denial conference he hosted in Tehran back in December. In his closing speech, the would-be Persian executioner gleefully declared that, “The life-curve of the Zionist regime has begun its descent, and it is now on a downward slope towards its fall…. The Zionist regime will be wiped out, and humanity will be liberated.”

And once he dispenses with the Jews, as we know, it is the West that will be next. So this is not just Israel’s battle, it is everyone’s war, and it is time for the decision-makers in Washington and Jerusalem to act.

Sure, the thought of striking Iran is scary, particularly in light of the trouble America is having next door in Iraq. But as frightening as the idea might seem, it pales in comparison with the prospect of the ayatollahs having their finger on the button and being able to threaten the world with nuclear blackmail and destruction.

We must stop Iran at all costs. The alarm bells are ringing, and the danger signs are near. Like it or not, time is of the essence, and there is not a moment to lose. The U.S. or Israel should bomb Iran now, before it proves to be too late.

Michael Freund

NEXT: Leave America out of it. Iran is no threat to the USA.

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