Par for the course.  GW's staff feels the Iranian government could and should be doing more to curtail the operations of the terrorists.  Rattle some sabers, make them think real hard.  The world knows now, with GW after the rattle comes the strike.

I doubt that we will liberate Iran.
There is a movement on now by the younger Iranians to push for modernization, with the eventual return to capitalisim in about ten years.
The U.S.A. has already adopted a wait and see attitude in the hopes of a western friendly administration. (Yeah, I know, heard that before).
If not, in a few more years, with proper planning, the U.S. will have consolidated it's gains in Afgahnistan and Iraq for a good squeeze play on Iran.
But no action in the forseeable future.
(IMHO)

What would we do if we "liberated" Iran? I doubt the Iranian people would consider us to be "liberators."   What would be our goal in such an operation?  Would we install a European style socialist government which confiscated all the Iranian firearms?  Would that be something that was really the loss of the lives of American soldiers?

It seems to me that the end result of the Iraqi war will be that the country is turned into some kind of European style socialist state or it gets handed over to the Mullahs in Iran. I don't see much advantage for the US in either scenario.

These ragheads damn sure know there's a new sheriff in town!!!

IIRC, we have not had diplomatic relations w/ Iran since 1979, whats new here?

I wouldn't want to fight with IRAN, hell those are some mean ass people.

Iran oughta be next. They've been shit-stirrers for more than 20 years. Anyone recall the 241 Marines in Beirut? The 444 day hostage crisis? How about the endless terrorism of the 80's? They've only gotten quieter in recent years, not less dangerous.


Now, how we go about taking them down is open for debate: covertly or overtly? That should be the only question.

I would have to say that I think a better course of action with regard to Iran is to try to get on friendly terms with them.   You see, the big problem with Iran is that they've been controlled by radical clerics for some years (anyone remember the ayatollah Khomeini?  Bueller? Anyone?) but the average Iranian isn't like that.

Before the Shah became unpopular, U.S. relations with Iran were probably the best we had with ANY country in the mideast.   Iran was an ALLY, in fact, and you can tell by what we sold to them back in the 60's and early 70's.   They had F-4 Phantoms and were the ONLY other nation to get the F-14 Tomcat. (Canada was the only other nation that was even given the option to buy them, but they opted for something else.)  

It should also be pointed out that Iran is NOT an Islamic nation.  Sure, there a lot of Islamics in Iran, but it's not an Islamic state at the government level.   Technically,  the historical background of Iran is Aryan in large part.

Iran is still among the most modernized and Westernized of all the mideast nations. Their women enjoy more freedoms than their neighbors, for example.  Women can have jobs and show their faces in Iran if they wish to do so. And a lot of Iranians remember the good old days when Americans were their friends,  and those good old days could return if we played our cards right.

I think it would be a good idea for us to try to improve our relations with Iran instead of trying to alienate them.    Best of all would be to focus on getting the Iranian people to eject the radical clerics that are the thorn in their asses.

CJ

Seems I've heard that before...

GWB announces three countries are the Axis of evil.  He then says this war will not be over in a month or a year, but could go on for a long time.  He the crushes the military and government of the first on the list.  Agents from the second on the list attempt to exploit the power vacuum, develope nuclear weapons, and harbor the people who did 9/11.  It may not be tomorrow, but it is coming.  It may not be a straight up invasion, it may be "encouraging" a poular uprising, but it is coming.  

All you have to do is topple the mullahs and you have an instant constitutional republic in Iran. Right now every leader is elected except the religious freaks at the top (Khamenei and his thugs). Things have been heating up in Iran for the past year, expect some changes soon enough. The mullahs are feeling the pressure both in and outside Iran.

Then you'd be wrong.  Iran's people are really fed up with their oppressive and corrupt theocracy. There's a great deal of unrest in the Iran, and the invasion of Iraq has given them a great deal of hope that they're next.

You're worried about what kind of government would take Iran's place?  What could be worse than what's there now?  Those motherfuckers have been financing, training and abetting anti western terrorism for over 20 years.  And they're on the verge of developing nukes. If Bush gets tough on Iran, I say GOOD.  They've been at war with us since 1979, it's time we took the bastards out and get Iran back with the program.

Rudi Bakhtiar is Iranian...


My $.02.