Becuase Everything Else Sucks

Even with Nukes, Iran is Not a Threat

By Manila Ryce
Published Friday, February 2nd, 2007, 4:14 am
Filed under: World: Asia, World Issues, Society/Culture, US Politics

Thinking that he was speaking off the record, French President Chirac told two US newspapers and a French magazine that Iran would not be dangerous, even with a nuclear bomb. The International Herald Tribune, the New York Times, and Le Nouvel Observateur all quoted Chirac as saying, “What is dangerous about this situation is not the fact of having a nuclear bomb — having one, maybe a second one a little later, well, that’s not very dangerous.”

Chirac further stated that if Iran were to actually use a nuclear weapon against Israel, its capital would then be obliterated in retaliation. Chirac continued, “Where will it drop it, this bomb? On Israel? It would not have gone 200 meters (650 ft) into the atmosphere before Tehran would be razed to the ground.” Hence, a nuclear bomb in Iran’s possession would be used exclusively as a deterrent from Israeli and American strikes.

This frank moment of truth was contrary to the position France has held in unity with the United States and other allies, forcing Chirac to call the reporters back the next day for a second interview. The United States, Britain, Germany, Russia, China, and France have all stood unified against Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran denies charges that its nuclear program will be used for anything other than electricity. So far, the facts have been in Iran’s favor as there is not one shred of evidence indicating that Iran will use its nuclear program for nuclear weapons. In fact, Iran has formally called on the UN to stop engaging in double standards and to act against Israel’s existent nuclear weapons program.

Le Monde, an influential French publication, said Chirac’s comments represented “a radical turning point. One asks what credibility the French position will now have.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Chirac’s comments would “only worsen the current unbalanced atmosphere which is the result of the wrong US policies.” Chirac has since withdrawn his statements while his US and British allies have downplayed any division in thought over the subject.

source

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One Response to “Even with Nukes, Iran is Not a Threat”

  1. Generally speaking, I find few areas of common ground on most subjects with French government officials. That said, I must say that French President Chirac was profoundly correct in these comments about Iran’s relative threat level by possessing a nuclear device.

    I have found it very curious that the US which probably possesses more nuclear devices than any nation on the face of the planet, and the only nation to have actually ever used them in a war, is justified in saying that other nations cannot even have ONE of these horrendous weapons. Let me quickly say that the use of the nuclear weapons by the US in the final days of WWII against Japan was entirely justified and probably saved many lives on both sides.

    The Iranians are in an area of the world that has deliverable nuclear weapons very near by in Israel. The Bush administration does not seem to think that this is a dangerous and destabilizing situation, (whether or not it is is another question altogether).

    There are many in the USA who firmly believe that George W. Bush would not fail use a nuclear weapon in a pre-emptive strike against Iran, if not elsewhere.

    Of a certainty, the best situation would be for there to be no nuclear weapons at anyone’s disposal. This not being the fact, it is difficult for me to rationalize Mr. Bush’s belligerancy toward Iran even having a program to develop a nuclear weapon. This is particularly interesting in that another regime in Asia run by a lunatic, namely North Korea, not only has nuclear capabilities and the wherewithal to deliver them within certain limits, already has tested these devices. Of course, one must remember that I have not heard that there were any appreciable petroleum resources in North Korea. Perhaps that is a factor in the Bush administration’s stance against Iran.

    I want no nation to use nuclear weapons against one another. It’s insane in the extreme. Nevertheless, it’s difficult for me to justify our current President’s stated policies as regards Iran. May God have mercy on us all should ANY nation feel that use of these demonic weapons of mass destruction is justified and acts upon that insane justification.

    Mr. Chirac should have stood by his remarks. They have the twin virtues of being both true and reasonable.

    Michael Robbins
    02/2/07 at 10:50 am

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