Iranian Myths

Commentary By Ron Beasley

Because the military/Industrial/media complex is set on a war with Iran this important OP ED has not received the coverage it deserves. - Five Myths About Iran's Nuclear Program:

Iran's expanding nuclear program poses one of the Obama administration's most vexing foreign policy challenges. Fortunately, the conditions for containing Tehran's efforts may be better today than they have been in years. The recent disclosure of a secret nuclear facility in Iran has led to an apparent agreement to allow in U.N. weapons inspectors and to ship some uranium out of the country, and the United States and Europe seem to be closing ranks on the need for sanctions and engagement.

Of course, the matter is far from resolved; Russia and China are sending mixed signals on their position, while even a weakened Iranian regime remains duplicitous. But the prospects for developing a strategy with a solid chance of success improve if we dispose of five persistent myths about Iran's nuclear program:

1. Iran is on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon.

2. A military strike would knock out Iran's program.

3. We can cripple Iran with sanctions.

4. A new government in Iran would abandon the nuclear program.

5. Iran is the main nuclear threat in the Middle East.

Yes these are all myths and you can read the details in the original editorial.  I think he underestimates the importance of Israel's 200 nuclear warheads in the region but this is about right.

The real danger is not a nuclear-armed Iran but a Middle East with more nuclear-armed nations and unresolved territorial, economic and political disputes. That is a recipe for disaster, and that is why there is no country-specific solution; we cannot play nuclear whack-a-mole.

Of course this is not the sort of thing the hawks want to hear so we probably won't hear much about it.  It would mean Israel is wrong and that would be anti-Semitic.