Since the U.S. and Iran were allies when the Shah
was in charge, it should be obvious to most people
in Iran that USgov's animosity is not directed at
them, but rather at the government presently
controlling Iran.
But the USgov's animosity really is directed at the
Iranian people. It derives from the anti-muslim
sentiment and xenophobia the administration has
exploited since 9-11. Although the USgov was the ally
of the Shah, it was not the ally of the Iranian
people. The USgov put Reza Pahlavi on the throne. He
then seized absolute power in a military coup against
the elected Prime Minister, Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh.
Pahlavi ruled with an iron hand, enriching himself,
and counting on US support because Iran was a key base
in the Cold War.
Why should the Iranian people now trust the US? The
US put a dictator over them, and put them on the front
lines of a threatened nuclear war. The US Embassy
spied on them to help the dictatorship. The deposed
Shah fled to safety in the United States. Then the
Iranian people saw Rumsfeld shake hands with Saddam
Hussein during the war while thousands of their
soldiers were dying from poison gas. The Iranian
people saw what happened to Iraq when she tried to
disarm to satisfy the US. Now Rumsfeld has plans to
attack their country with nuclear weapons. Why would
the Iranian people be so stupid as to trust George
Bush? Iraq capitulated and was bombed, invaded, and
looted, and her citizens were tortured and killed.
in the eventual absence of sanctions, inspections,
or military
overflights by coalition aircraft,I believe that
Saddam *would*
have renewed his attempts to acquire weapons of mass
destruction.
Iraq did not manufacture any WMD while the inspectors
were not in the country, why would it be any different
now? But even so, inspections on the ground can
prevent WMD development. No-fly zones and economic
sanctions cannot.
That would have been as unacceptable as for them
to be acquired by IranGov.
The WMD of the USgov is the most unacceptable
situation I can imagine. Iran should preferably have
a reliable ally to protect her. The USgovt accused
Iran of also using WMD during the war with Iraq, so
possibly Iran already has possessed WMD for over a
decade.
Jeb Bush need not be subject to the laws of the
Nicaraguan government in order for his seeking to
influence an election in Nicaragua to be morally
justified. Same would go for John Huang, except
in his case he was acting as the agent of an
authoritarian regime, rather than trying to tilt
the outcome in a more pro-freedom direction.
I felt that Jeb Bush acted also acted as an "agent of
an authoritarian regime" and not in the interest of
freedom. But regardless of the intent, unbiased
elections, per se, help the cause of freedom. Even if
the people wind up with a dictator, they have a right
to elect that dictator themselves.
I regret that I don't have time to continue this
thread right now, Starchild. You my have the last
word for a while, now, if you like.
Harland Harrison
LP San Mateo CA