An Iranian naval destroyer test-fires a missile in the Persian Gulf. Ebrahim Noroozi / IIPA / Reuters
Uri Friedman, The Atlantic: The U.S.-Iran Conflict That Never Happened
One upside of talking to enemies
We have just witnessed one of the most consequential weeks for U.S.-Iran relations since diplomatic ties were broken in 1980, amid the Iranian hostage crisis. Last week began as it ended: with the release of captives. U.S. sailors were seized and set free; international sanctions against Iran were lifted in recognition of Iran dismantling most of its nuclear program; and a prisoner exchange occurred. The events seemed to bridge some international divisions, but they also resurfaced a bitter divide in the United States over one key question: What’s the best way to deal with enemies?
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 20, 2016
Why we fight about Iran -- Max Fisher, VOX
Iran's Treatment of U.S. Sailors and Contempt for International Agreements -- Seth Cropsey & William Luti, RCD
What Has Worked Against ISIS? Nothing -- Peter Van Buren, Tom Dispatch
Why there are no good policy options on Syria -- Anna Newby, Brookings
Turkey in conflict: How Kurds' gains in Syria have pushed both sides to dig in -- Dominique Soguel, CSM
North Korea: The Outlier in U.S. Policy -- Rodger Baker, Stratfor
Reform uncertainty in Vietnam after PM left off leadership nominations -- Martin Petty, Reuters
A New Dawn for Taiwan and China -- Bloomberg editorial
And then there is Libya -- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post
Egypt: who's afraid of January 25? -- Ahmed Aboulenein, Reuters
Brussels loses patience with Rome -- di Kay Wallace, La Repubblica
Europe: From Muddling Through to Stuck in the Mud -- Andy Langenkamp, The Compass
Central America's Gangs Are All Grown Up -- Douglas Farah, Foreign Policy
Oil below $30 fans wipeout fears among U.S. shale survival artists -- Terry Wade and Anna Driver, Reuters
Tech’s ‘Frightful 5’ Will Dominate Digital Life for Foreseeable Future -- Farhad Manjoo, NYT
4 comments:
Iran isn't a real US enemy, it's a concocted one.
Iran has done nothing wrong, but for more than fifty years it has been an enemy first because it nationalized the BP oil interests in Iran, and then Iranians overthrew the US puppet shah, and then refused to accept US hegemony in the Middle East. These impolite activities were followed by Iran's support for Israel enemies Hamas and Hezbollah, which did more than anything else to make Iran an official US enemy.
After this nuclear accord Iran remains an enemy, Obama has made that clear. There have been other bases for US sanctions:
--human rights abuses
--development of unconventional weapons and ballistic missiles
--support for international terrorism
--deceptive banking
--computer and network disruption, monitoring, and tracking
--faulty elections
--evading sanctions
Those pesky precocious Persians just never accepted the Carter Doctrine, that the US rules the Middle East, and so they must remain an enemy to be punished perhaps not by Obama, who is now polishing up the exhibits for the Iran Wing in the upcoming Obama Library, but certainly by the next democratically-elected US president.
I finally have something good to say about Iran. That missile paintjob is cool.
"Iran isn't a real US enemy, it's a concocted one.
Iran has done nothing wrong" -don
except for the fact that iran is the premier world leader in supporting islamic terror in every way.
The last time Iran or it's proxies engaged in terrorism against the US, was 2008, and it was just a warning, with no casualties.
The last time Saudi's/GCC or their proxies killed an American, was today, and there will be more tomorrow.
Iran and it's proxies, has killed roughly 2600 Americans over the course of 30 years,
The Saudi/GCC and it's proxies has killed over 28,000 Americans in half the time.
Of course, as far as state sponsors of terrorism, both Iran and the Saudi/GCC are mere amateurs compared to the US.
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