The Case for Israel attacking Iran

Regarding Chris Peck’s Sunday March 14^th editorial “Direst strait for Delta’s CEO”: Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta Airlines should stick to his day job instead of espousing US foreign policy, because his perspective is solely motivated by his own self interests – which unfortunately are exactly the same as Iran’s – stay away from war because it will drive the price of oil up. Mr. Anderson, are you proposing that the world should be held hostage forever by a nuclear powered Iran who will constantly threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz?

In fact, Anderson’s ludicrous statement that the USA successfully negotiated North Korea to “reduce” their nuclear rogue weapons program – and we should do the same with Iran just shows his total ignorance of the complete failure of Bush and Obama’s anti-proliferation efforts in North Korea.

Whether anyone reading this supports Israel as a US ally or not, it is undisputable fact that while Israel has always faced a very real life and death dilemma being surrounded by a sea of Arabs and Muslims who wish to destroy this tiny country, Iran is upping the ante with its nuclear program and calls for wiping Israel off the map that no country on earth would tolerate. Israel doesn’t want, and has never wanted to go to war, and Israel has never, and will never ask for America or anyone else to send troops to fight for her. Israelis are highly motivated because they are defending their mothers and father and children. We are not talking about a remote war like Iraq or Afghanistan.

A nuclear Iran is a threat to the entire Mideast region, and would not only threaten Israel, but would start a nuclear arms race among Egypt, Saudi Arabia and others. A nuclear Iran is a clear and present threat to the world’s oil supply and to our few Arab allies and oil suppliers in the Mideast. A nuclear Iran would be able to provide a nuclear shield to her surrogates Hezbollah, Hamas that will surely embolden them to be more aggressive around the world. A nuclear Iran and the aggressive policies that it will surely try to impose on the world will drive the price of oil up whether there is a war or not. For over 6 years the USA, the UN and the IAEC has been negotiating with Iran and failed miserably. For over 6 years, various sanctions have been used against Iran and failed miserably. Iran is at the 11^th hour of developing a weapon and those avenues are totally exhausted.

The Israeli government is keenly aware that attacking Iran unleashes an unknown response that could end up with a high price tag in Israeli deaths, the Israeli economy and political damage. Israel is also aware that there could be ancillary collateral damage to Western interests in the Mideast and around the world that Iran may choose to attack.

President Kennedy correctly wouldn’t tolerate a nuclear Cuba on USA borders and he threatened a war against both Cuba and Russia unless they removed the threat. Russia made the correct call and removed their ballistic missiles. Israel does not want a war, but if Iran continues to be belligerent and refuses, the world should blame Iran, not Israel, for simply defending herself.