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It Could Not Be Better For the Iranian Leadership if Khomeini Were Still Here

Reader comment on item: Using Cold War Tactics to Confront Iran

Submitted by M. Tovey (United States), Jan 9, 2013 at 18:16

Hoover Fellow Sofaer's approach to dealing with the sublimated activities of Iran's war machine may have some interesting associations with the tactics formerly used abroad in facing the agenda of the ancient Soviet Union, but the ayatollahs' attitude towards world domination under the premise of Shari'a law appears to have a disconnect with the former Cold War antagonisms of the super powers of those times; and the terrorist shadow government agencies like the IRGC in these present circumstances do not share the former compunctions. Indeed, attempting to make those connections would be difficult in light of the inability to force Iran into sanction compliance like other rogue agencies, since the Iranian leadership displays little if any reluctance to press an agenda of domination that once was seen in the Soviet Union.

The Iranian religious leadership are not in the business of empire-building as in the same sense that the Soviet Union was in its lifetime. With the Soviets, it could be seen that protection of assets was paramount during many of the Cold War encounters, something that does not seem to affect the Iranian leadership as one might suppose. Even as it is seen that the Russian CIS is attempting to maintain its influences in the Middle East and are willing to go to certain lengths to do so, it is still about protection of assets and influences. Even at that, ideologically, there is enough of a disparity in the mentality between Iran's march to war and the West's ineffective efforts in averting hostilities simply due to the Russian presence that it is actually covering a fact that a war time stance is already in effect and all that is going on now is tactical posturing before open hostilities with all comers commences.

Iran is the catalyst; Iranian operations are the tool. In the background, the Russians are a recognized power that at this moment plays to the Iranian leadership's ambitions, immediately in the Syrian theater; but later it is likely to expand as the Iranian leadership begin their own escalation as their confidence to exert world-class power is secured. In the course of such events, the rest of the world (the United States especially) is being pulled into a greater act of reluctant participation and its ability to be the moderator as it might have been under previous administrations is now seriously under question, if for one reason: the potential deterioration of its relationship with Israel. If the security of Israel cannot be guaranteed, then the security of the region cannot be guaranteed and that is what the leadership of Iran is promoting with its activities as being pressed by the IRGC.

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Reader comments (24) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Sorry but . . President Obama is already okay with a nuclear Iran. [77 words]Phil GreendFeb 18, 2013 21:02203622
Deterence & Thanks for update [141 words]John in Michigan, USAFeb 5, 2013 11:56203203
Asleep at the Switch [138 words]JoeJan 20, 2013 12:16202684
1Israel is doing what it must [87 words]ybrandstetter MDJan 31, 2013 09:20202684
A bit anti-climactic [166 words]StasJan 18, 2013 16:07202661
U.S. Using Cold War Tactics Against Iran [121 words]Lujack SkylarkJan 17, 2013 14:00202649
The Power of Dissonance [105 words]Darrell PackJan 16, 2013 10:38202629
1We, Jews are talk-lovers [55 words]BenJan 13, 2013 15:47202586
2different lessons from the cold war [264 words]mythJan 10, 2013 21:08202565
1Realities of dealing with an Islamic regime [122 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
saraJan 10, 2013 18:29202562
Ahmadinejad seeks the spotlight of Western media [59 words]mythJan 12, 2013 09:24202562
Media hungry [46 words]Peter, ScotlandJan 15, 2013 08:10202562
1No Brainer PROVIDED [146 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
john w mcginleyJan 10, 2013 09:58202560
1It's too late [165 words]DEBORAH THE JUDGEJan 11, 2013 09:45202560
1Issue of this White House administration [55 words]StasJan 12, 2013 00:09202560
Great Ideas But Probably Just A Dream [64 words]DaveJan 10, 2013 07:08202558
Using Cold War Tactics to Confront Iran [25 words]Steven LJan 9, 2013 23:41202553
1Apples and Oranges [74 words]EdwardJan 11, 2013 07:50202553
They just want to take over [86 words]IanJan 17, 2013 01:23202553
Destroy, Gut or leave alone [84 words]Brendan DoranJan 9, 2013 19:47202550
It Could Not Be Better For the Iranian Leadership if Khomeini Were Still Here [443 words]M. ToveyJan 9, 2013 18:16202549
Peaceniks will see "confrontation" as "escalation". [88 words]Ari ZadeJan 9, 2013 16:01202548
Good artilce, Old News [89 words]Mark WerfelJan 9, 2013 04:33202539
2In The Real World... [265 words]AndyJan 13, 2013 01:00202539

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