Quoted:
You don't have to be someone's ally to work with them.

It would be good to establish more formal diplomatic ties through joint military action.

Quoted:
No,
but I wouldn't have a problem if they both wanted to fight to the death!

THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY TO BEAT ISIS: WORK WITH ASSAD AND IRAN

BY LESLIE H. GELB10.18.14

[snip]

As for Iran, its leaders, both reformists and hardliners, regard the Sunni Islamic State as a mortal threat to Shiite governments in Tehran, Damascus, and Baghdad. The Iranians have the military means and good reason to be effective partners; the ever-present risk is that their revolutionary ideology will run amok. If a deal can be arranged, Tehran’s ground forces should be restricted to Baghdad and southern Iraq. Going northward would antagonize Iraqi Sunnis, whom Washington and Baghdad are currently wooing. Luring those Sunnis back into a functioning Iraqi state will be a Herculean task, but, by and large, Iraqi Sunnis are not religious crazies and might be persuaded by tangible offers of considerable local autonomy.  

The long-term strategic risks are clear: Iran and Assad’s Syria could emerge from this anti-jihadi alliance with much more power in the Mideast and beyond. No one needs to be reminded that the men in charge in Damascus and Tehran are really nasty guys. At the end of the day, however, both have been mainly self-protective powers. Assad has been more of a threat to his own people than to his neighborhood. Iran’s revolutionary propaganda, its backing of regional terrorist groups like Hezbollah and its nuclear program bear close watching, but underneath these are potential avenues for cooperation worth testing and pursuing. The potent shared interest in defeating ISIS is one such avenue.

Historically, Washington is not allergic to cooperation with devils. The U.S. allied with Stalin to fight Hitler. The U.S. has banded with the Arab Gulf states for decades, and no bunch of American “friends” has done more to damage American security than the likes of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. For decades, their leaders have provided hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and arms to the very terrorists threatening the U.S and its partners across the globe.

Now is not the time for false virtue or moral absolutism. The working principle now has to be first threats first. And the first threat to American interests today is ISIS and its cohorts. If they gain a base of operations in the belly of the Mideast, they will intimidate nations around the world while launching terrorist attacks against those that remain resolute. They have to be hit very hard where they are and hit now—and there’s no way to do it other than working carefully, very carefully, with the devils we know.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/18/there-s-only-one-way-to-beat-isis-work-with-assad-and-iran.html

Quoted:
If we are willing to buddy up with the shitheads in Saudi Arabia, I don't see why it would be a huge stretch to buddy up with Iran.

The Iranian's aren't the suicidal nut bags that everyone makes them out to be, and their foreign policy reflects that. Iran is actually pretty moderate when compared to other Islamic countries—probably more moderate than Saudi Arabia, and we incessantly suck off the Saudis in spite of all their bullshit.

In addition to that, Persian women are the most not guilty women in The Middle East/South East Asia


If Iran and the US were on good terms, It's the only country in that part of the world that I'd ever want to visit.

Pretty cool iranian picture thread: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=351718

Quoted:
Yes, remember keep friends close and enemies closer.

Quoted:
I say yes. But I do have some caveats.

Iran's Islamic republic is unapologetically anti-west. Idc what popular opinion of the west is in iran, and the ones in power there don't either. Its hard to align yourself with someone that hates you.

That said, shia muslims by necessity are a progressive group. Theres a reason why, other than the rich gulf states, Iran is not living in the fucking stone age. On top of that, you don't have near the level of religious fanaticism in Iran as in other muslim countries. I'd equate it to America being controlled by ultrafundamentalist christians.

Put another way, if it weren't for the imams, I'd rather ally with Iran than Iraq, a country crippled with sectarian strife. Iran is also pretty well self sufficient and would be able to pick up some of Iraq's slack, instead of leaving us footing the full bill. plus, persian chicks are hot.

Quoted:
Why do so many Americans keep treating Iran as an enemy?  And why (up until ISIL became an issue) were mainstream politicians so eager to start a war with Iran?

So far, the reasons war loving Americans have given are that:
1.  Iran’s government might try using their nuclear power program to gather materials for the construction of nuclear weapons.
2.  Iran’s government abuses human rights.

These reasons are very weak.  There is no evidence to suggest that Iran’s government is trying to construct nuclear weapons.  Even if they were, the weapons are unlikely to be deliverable.  Even if the weapons were deliverable, Russia (their ally) can already do this.  Threats of invasion would only increase the Iranian government’s desire to acquire weapons to use in their defence.

Although Iran’s government abuses human rights, the US government isn’t much better.  In the US, there are draconian sentences handed down to people convicted by hick juries based on little or no evidence.  In American prisons, lesser criminals are raped, beaten and killed by worse criminals.  

There are many people in Iran opposed to the bad things done by the Iranian government.  I expect big improvements (due to popular movements) in Iran, over the next few decades.  These movements are likely to be stifled if the US were to invade.

Quoted:
Why do so many Americans keep treating Iran as an enemy?  And why (up until ISIL became an issue) were mainstream politicians so eager to start a war with Iran?

So far, the reasons war loving Americans have given are that:
1.  Iran’s government might try using their nuclear power program to gather materials for the construction of nuclear weapons.
2.  Iran’s government abuses human rights.

These reasons are very weak.  There is no evidence to suggest that Iran’s government is trying to construct nuclear weapons.  Even if they were, the weapons are unlikely to be deliverable.  Even if the weapons were deliverable, Russia (their ally) can already do this.  Threats of invasion would only increase the Iranian government’s desire to acquire weapons to use in their defence.

Although Iran’s government abuses human rights, the US government isn’t much better.  In the US, there are draconian sentences handed down to people convicted by hick juries based on little or no evidence.  In American prisons, lesser criminals are raped, beaten and killed by worse criminals.  

There are many people in Iran opposed to the bad things done by the Iranian government.  I expect big improvements (due to popular movements) in Iran, over the next few decades.  These movements are likely to be stifled if the US were to invade.

Quoted:
Newsflash: We already are.

Look who we are alinging ourselves with in Iraq/Syria.

Quoted:
If it would move them moderate, why not?

A moderate Iran would be a great ally, and could possibly spell a new era of middle-east relations.

The Saudis would have a fit though.

I don't think Israel would care.  They have been in bed with Iran a few times already.

Quoted:
NO!

Quoted:
Started this to remove the purse fighting in this thread

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1633086_Al_Qaeda_fighters_take_control_of_Mosul_in_northern_Iraq.html&page=104&anc=50034644#i50034644

(hope it will work)

Quoted:
worked awesome in LIbya!

Our buddies, the Iranians.
https://www.mca-marines.org/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_photo_image/public/importedFiles/files/beirut-13.jpg?itok=7pXET4wK
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/images/khobar.jpg
http://www.gunslot.com/files/gunslot/images/58146.JPG
http://m1.i.pbase.com/o4/93/329493/1/58068911.IranMar064243.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8t59jorH2DM/SYGwSuqtBhI/AAAAAAAAD10/AXYh_r89I8M/s400/Iran+-+Death+To+America.jpg


I have got more.

Quoted:
Newsflash: We already are.

Look who we are alinging ourselves with in Iraq/Syria.

Quoted:
If it would move them moderate, why not?

A moderate Iran would be a great ally, and could possibly spell a new era of middle-east relations.

The Saudis would have a fit though.

I don't think Israel would care.  They have been in bed with Iran a few times already.

Originally Posted By Schreechjet1

How is that going to destroy a population centric enemy?