generalspeaking

Military Dictatorships

"We are planning to try to bring the world community together in applying pressure to Iran through sanctions adopted by the United Nations that will be particularly aimed at those enterprises controlled by the Revolutionary Guard", explained Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, addressing a meeting on the Doha campus of Carnegie Mellon University.

Hasn't she heard? Iran has responded by identifying the United States of America as a militant and military-led state. There are many other countries around the world who would hail that statement as quite correct. Starting with perhaps, Venezuela, and going on to include North Korea, Russia, China, Burma, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq ... oh, the list goes on. Of course a powerful country requires a mighty army ...

Washington's international spokesperson was anxious to have Saudi Arabia promise China, that in exchange for its veto being withheld with new more intrusive sanctions, it would guarantee no loss of anticipated oil shipments, since any sanctions would be likely to impact deleteriously on China's purchases of Iranian oil.

The extent, and the depth of Middle East concern could be amply concluded by Saudi Arabia's clear, concise and concerned response. "They need no suggestion from Saudi Arabia to do what they ought to do according to their responsibility", soberly commented Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia made it abundantly clear that unsurprisingly they share Israel's concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions, by stating that the Republic of Iran, now obviously a "military dictatorship" of a variety other than the U.S., cannot now be hampered aspirationally by additional sanctions alone; that time is long past.

"Sanctions are a long-term solution" Prince al-Faisal commented. "They may work, we can't judge, but we see the issue in the shorter term, maybe because we are closer to the threat. We need immediate resolution rather than gradual resolution." A clarification of that message might be the unthinkable, for one Middle East Muslim country to advance the potential for bombing another.

Well, there was consensus in the Arab world when Saddam Hussein's Iraq felt confident enough to invade Kuwait, leading to the first UN-approved invasion of Iraq through "Desert Storm". And at that time it was most Arab states supporting the ouster of Iraqi troops from a fellow state. This time, most Arab states with the exception of Syria and Qatar feel threatened by the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran.

With good reason, since Iran has made it abundantly clear that it feels itself to be in the best position to become once again the leading light of Islam in the Middle East, and in the Islamic world at large, exporting its brand of Islamist (Shi'a-led) ideology in a hegemonic triumph of ascendancy.

Given Qatar's latter-day support of Iran, it is bold of Ms. Clinton to speak there in particular of Iran's militaristic aspirations, and the fearsome increase in power of the Revolutionary Guard and their black-clad, motorcycle-driving Basij fellow-thugs.

Labels: Conflict, Middle East, Technology, United States

posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, February 16, 2010