Another war on the horizon?
Re “Avoiding WWIII” and “Congress vs. Tehran,” editorials, Oct. 20
Let’s face it, the move to label Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as “terrorists” is an attempt by the Israel lobby to move us another step closer to war with Iran. Israel would like nothing better than to have the United States take on Iran in order to eliminate Hezbollah’s chief sponsor and arms supplier.
Beyond escalating hostilities and opening the door for the Bush administration to involve us in another military debacle, use of the terrorist designation against Iran would be looked on by the world as yet another example of American hypocrisy. After all, many would argue that our own CIA -- which armed Afghan guerrillas against the Soviets in the 1980s; has been involved in kidnapping, torture and assassination, and is currently supporting guerrilla groups in Iran that wish to overthrow the Iranian government -- should be at the top of our list of terrorist organizations.
Kenneth Gozlyn
San Francisco
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If I were an Iranian official, I can think of no greater spur to developing nuclear weapons as quickly as possible than having the world’s greatest war-mongering power threaten me while having thousands of troops on my eastern and western borders, and to the south in the Persian Gulf -- accompanied by television shots of Rambo-like Blackwater thugs careening through the streets of Baghdad killing innocent citizens.
Give Iran a reason to cease the development.
Anthony Shay
Los Angeles
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Your two editorials on Saturday were welcome, and I hope they will receive widespread approbation from your readers.
If there had been more editorials in a similar spirit by our press before the incursion into Iraq, many lives would have been saved and our nation would be on a stronger economic footing.
Because of its large stock of short-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, Iran could inflict serious damage on our forces in Iraq, including on our naval vessels in the Persian Gulf, thereby leading to a death toll exceeding in a few days what our armed forces have suffered during the last four years.
Alternatively, it might rely on antiaircraft rockets to try to shoot down incoming bombers and missiles, and then take the matter to the United Nations, thereby not fueling World War III and keeping the petrodollars pipelines flowing.
Frank R.
Tangherlini
San Diego
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Your otherwise excellent editorial regrettably perpetuates an element of war propaganda -- that Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threatened to wipe Israel off the map. The accurate translation of what he said is that Israel should fall from the page of history.
While it is no pat on the back, neither is it a threat. It would be folly for Iran to threaten the Middle East’s only nuclear power.
The contemplated war would be catastrophic for the world, starting with U.S. troops in Iraq.
Anthony Saidy
Los Angeles
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After filtering out all the Bush bashing from The Times’ editorial, I came up with this: Wait until Iran has the bomb. Do nothing.
Steven Lachman
La Quinta
