Designating a branch of a recognized government’s military as a “terrorist” organization is breaking new ground, to say the least. One wonders what actual action this might portend . . .
Of course, in most cases – not all (see South Africa), but most – sanctions on a country just seem to annoy everybody and make life harder for a few without changing anything. Especially if they’re unilateral sanctionas and the international community doesn’t go along with them. Just ask Fidel.
Madame Secretary, just who are you trying to scare – the Iranians, or the Americans?! I can’t help thinking this whole thing is only meant to keep our people in a high state of fear and tension that will remain unresolved indefinitely. Actually, that’s what I hope it means; every other possibility is too horrible to contemplate.
Nothing that would count as a war, because those who think of themselves as all-knowing will then declare that any action short of American Troops in Tehran wouldn’t count as a war.
Of course, taking down a couple buildings from several thousand miles away probably doesn’t count as war, either.
Why? We’ve designated the whole country of Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism for as long as that label as existed. It isn’t like this condemnation of this particular organization is a new thing. In 2000, the State Department’s Patterns of Global Terrorism called out the Revolutionary Guard Corps as being involved in terrorism:
“Iran
Despite the victory for moderates in Iran’s Majles elections in February, aggressive countermeasures by hardline conservatives have blocked most reform efforts. Iran remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism in 2000. Its Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) continued to be involved in the planning and the execution of terrorist acts and continued to support a variety of groups that use terrorism to pursue their goals.” Link.I think going to war against Iran would be stupid. I am concerned about Iran developing nuclear weapons. I think diplomacy is the way to handle it. If part of Iran’s government is heavily involved in terrorism, it seems to me Iran has made its own bed in that regard.
If this designation is part of a carrot-and-stick strategy to negotiating an end to the nuclear dispute, it is a great idea. If it is a prelude to war it is a terrible idea. There’s no way to know for sure which category it falls into at this moment, but I don’t believe it is foreshadowing war, because I believe war is but a remote possibility. I hope that it’s part of a diplomatic effort, and yet I’m not sure this Administration could coordinate a sustained effort to order a Happy Meal at McDonalds.
Congress wrote a blank check in 2001, thanks to a loophole so big you could deploy an army through it. Given a thoughtful, restrained administration this wouldn’t be a big deal, but the U.S. currently has an administration which chafes at even the slightest hint of limits to executive power. They’re not going to go cap in hand to Congress before declaring war on whomever they damned well want to, not if they have an alternative. Declaring foreign armies as terrorist organizations is just the logical conclusion given these actors on this stage.
I don’t really have much to say on this pit thread that I haven’t said in the GD thread but I wanted to make a comment from the GD thread here based on this:
I just wanted to say that I hope you get better sometime Red. Seriously, it’s not a good thing to go off your meds like that.
Yeah…'cause my posts are so good someone would be willing to pay me to post my thoughts on this board.
Ok…I do get paid. But mostly I get checks to not post too often or use too many smileys. I also am paid not to post any pictures of myself in a speedo…
And there were some interesting speculations by Paul Starr about whether it might be ultimately a political ploy (I posted this in the GD thread too):
I’m not sure whether the American people would really think that the same party who brought us the current mess in Iraq are the best people to entrust with handling a military adventure in Iran. But I could see how some Republicans, at least, might be willing to gamble on it.
What can he do in a year? All we have to do is distract the president with one of those “how do you keep an idiot busy for a long time? (answer on back)” cards for another 12 months, and he wont have the time to do something stupid like launch missiles at Iran. It’s foolproof!
Ah! Touched a nerve, little one, didn’t I? Why don’t you call the waaaahmbulance? Sneaky little post BTW. Don’t have the cojones to open-up a proper Pit thread, do you?
Blow it out your ass, apologist! And up this into it while you’re at it.
