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The West, at the moment, are lost, incompetent wimps

Reader comment on item: If Tehran Turns Down the Nuclear Deal
in response to reader comment: Response to Daniel Pipes

Submitted by Michael S (United States), Sep 18, 2015 at 11:32

Hello, Anon (US). You said,

because - and God forbid - if Iran uses a nuke against Israel then whatever damage happens to Israel it is clear that Iran will be destroyed by the West because anything less would be intolerable.

The West would do no such thing. Three points:

  1. Iran doesn't have to use its nukes, in order to achieve its gains. By possessing nuclear weapons, along with the impressive delivery systems the Iranians already have in their arsenal that could reach Israel, the Ayatollah would have the clout he needs to get others, including the British, French, etc., but certainly fellow Muslim countries, to act in concert against Israel. It would be like the high school bully showing up on campus driving an Abrams tank instead of coming on the bus (The other students would be impressed, and make room for him in the hallways).
  2. The West is not in any position to anything worthwhile in the Middle East at the moment -- the place has spun completely out of their control. The European countries, one after another, are finding themselves unable to withstand an unarmed invasion at the moment, of hundreds of thousands of Syrians who are freely mixed with Jihadis. The enemy don't need nukes, nor tanks, nor even sidearms: they are simply walking in and taking over the place. Meanwhile, the US, in its typical short-sightedness and stupidity, is in the process of welcoming some 70,000 ot them over here -- during an election year, no less. This is the new "fourth generation warfare" (qv).
  3. Besides being witless about how to handle fourth-generation warfare, the West cannot address Middle East problems even in conventional ways. The Russians and Iranians, on the other hand, are acting like old pros: They know who their enemies are, and who their friends are -- something the Americans and Europeans seem to have gotten all confused, decades ago. While the Russians and Iranians are sending troops into Syria (for Iran, this is part of its new boldness after the surrender of the Americans and their allies at Vienna), the Americans now say they have one or two men (but not boots, God forbid!) on the ground in Syria. Those men are supporting the Syrian Kurds -- Kurds allied to the PKK in neighboring Turkey. Meanwhile, our Turkish allies are busy putting Kurdish cities in their country under curfew, invading Iraq in hot pursuit of the PKK, and lobbing artillery at their Syrian affiliates where the Americans presumably have men on the ground. This isn't a case of military weakness, such as that I outlined above, but of total confusion in American policy -- and yes, the Europeans and Australians still look to us as leaders in these matters.

In summary, the Ayatollah can and will do anything he pleases now, because the West have all shown themselves to be lost, incompetent wimps

Submitting....

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Reader comments (31) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Iranian propagandist "journalist" C. Amanpour tries to and fails [150 words]SammyApr 14, 2021 01:17265628
If Tehran turns down Nuclear Deal. response to Yehuda [169 words]AnneSep 1, 2015 08:19224887
2One important part missing [151 words]YehudaAug 30, 2015 08:47224870
Unsound logic [229 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
AnonAug 29, 2015 16:44224863
Response to Daniel Pipes [60 words]AnonSep 3, 2015 01:01224863
The West, at the moment, are lost, incompetent wimps [482 words]Michael SSep 18, 2015 11:32224863
Domestic politics would be bad for Obama [132 words]Mike SterAug 25, 2015 20:36224822
1"Khamenei Will Not Officially Approve the Deal to Pull Out Later When He Wishes" [118 words]PezDispenserAug 25, 2015 04:57224815
If Tehran Turns Down the Nuclear Deal [101 words]Angel OterosAug 23, 2015 19:14224795
1Obama's defense of the Iran treaty seems excessive and unnecessary [447 words]Kenneth BesigAug 23, 2015 11:51224794
3Plea To Khamenei From Barack Obama [202 words]DaveAug 23, 2015 11:48224793
Big deal. Iran gives the world threats and promises; but they always give Israel rocket attacks [144 words]Michael SAug 22, 2015 20:52224789
Iran might reshuffle the cards, togain more [485 words]avi ShammasAug 22, 2015 15:14224787
reallt? [32 words]cvtAug 22, 2015 14:36224784
Was that Sarcasm?! [229 words]Barry BlackAug 22, 2015 09:35224781
The world may lie about it; but Israel will continue to be victorious [154 words]MIchael SAug 24, 2015 18:46224781
Article that backs up your thesis [10 words]PezDispenserAug 22, 2015 04:06224776
On the other hand... [89 words]Gerome TorribioAug 21, 2015 18:37224769
Impotent west. [20 words]JosephAug 21, 2015 06:14224767
opposition inside or outside the circle of power [110 words]mythAug 21, 2015 04:36224765
Iranian rejection of nuclear deal [92 words]Paul WinterAug 21, 2015 02:55224763
Grow a Pair [214 words]TL WinslowAug 20, 2015 17:24224759
Iran says no [60 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DianneAug 20, 2015 16:57224758
Have fun "snapping back" UN sanctions [46 words]Dan SchwartzAug 20, 2015 15:36224757
Why have the Iranians been negotiating in the first place? [104 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
AndyAug 20, 2015 14:07224756
Why were US embassy hostages in Tehran released as soon as Reagan took the oath of office??????? [74 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
EdwardAug 20, 2015 13:15224755
what Khamenei really wants [211 words]Saul SteinAug 20, 2015 10:01224753
2An Iranian "no" vote is meaningless [619 words]Kenneth BesigAug 20, 2015 07:03224751
Very interesting [33 words]JohnBAug 20, 2015 03:35224749
1Problem #3 [72 words]Robert BarzelayAug 20, 2015 01:49224747
If Teheran turns down the deal [220 words]Edmond BeniacarAug 20, 2015 00:40224746

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