Shocking and bold is how Econo-Girl would describe reports of U.S. forces storming a consulate and arresting diplomats. It's not that she disagrees with this action. The Iranians have a long history of hiding crimes under diplomatic cover.
So, Iran, how does it feel? You've got this diplomatic ground you put your consulate on, and an armed group of men and women storm it and take hostages. Sound familiar? IT'S WHAT YOU DID TO US! They have sent a diplomatic letter of protest. (Note to ETA: even the Iranians can use words rather than bombs.)
The United States accuses the Iranians of feeding and supplying the insurgency by calling it "meddling in Iraq." Rather ironic since we invaded the place. What could be more meddlesome than that? Anyway, we are probably right. Most likely Iran is causing trouble in Iraq.
The bottom line is President Bush is deadly serious about getting stability in Iraq. He wants and needs a success. And while Econo-Girl does not condemn seizing the Iranians, she points to the interwoven nature of the entire region. It's never just as easy as pulling weeds from the garden. Will the Iranians strike back against Israel? Will our next war be with Iran? George Bush is upping the ante big time and pulling in more countries than just Iraq.
Yes, they were there already in some form. Understood. But not at the level that they could be. If Iran would choose now to declare war against Iraq and the U.S. it would not be the first time they engaged in a self-defeating war.
As an aside, Econo-Girl wonders about the extent Iran has foreign Muslims in its equation. Are they counting on them to cause problems in the U.S. and Europe as a tool in its diplomacy? It would be the kind of thing Iran would think of. It would be overreaching, in Econo-Girl's opinion.
7 comments:
Great idea! Sinking to their level ALWAYS works!
Oh wait, no it hardly ever works.
Even at the height of the Cold War, when we KNEW the Soviet Union embassy and consulates were loaded with spies, not a single embassy or consulate was ever raided. Not once. Not by us, not by the Soviets.
This is a mistake. Now what will WE say if a US Consulate is ever raided and the occupants arrested? Diplomatic immunity? We seem to not respect that, why should anyone else?
The sooner this nation is DONE with all things Bush the better.
Raiding Consulates. What is next? An air strike on the UN headquarters in New York City because diplomats from Sudan are in there?
This is going to get so much worse before Bush leaves office. See Glenn Greenwald's post (http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com) about the Iranian situation for a detailed breakdown of why Israel will be a U.S. proxy for a nuclear strike against Iran.
This is much worse than I first thought. The raid was in Kurdish Iraq, the most stable area of that nation. The Kurds were our best friends over there.
Now they are upset by the US move. This could end up being yet another Bush blunder that just reduces security for the USA.
Who is in charge in DC anyway? Alfred P. Newman?
TIT FOR TAT.
It works untill the oponent ups the ante 'till you don't want to play anymore. I think Iran will see how serious the US is and will eventually back off. However, the meddling will continue but now "behind" closed doors. Clandestine movements works best when they are undetected, something that the US has also done well troughout history.
I think it's about time that the US forces hit back at the Iranians.
And when they bitch about the consulate, just remind them of '79 and '80, and the Teheran Embassy.
Maybe now they'll get the message that supporting terrorists is bad.
Michael - So just because Iran does something that means it is alright for us to do the same?
In this case, why have international law? Why issue diplomatic visas? I mean if it is OK for Iran and the USA to just invade consulates, then lets just take this to the next level!
Lets allow India to invade Pakistani consular offices. Why not! Everyone else is doing it. Lets just allow anyone who wants to just knock over consular offices anywhere in the world! That ought to be fun. Just here in Miami there are 30 something consulates! Most are located in the same general area - handy for easy invasions!
So just because Iran does something that means it is alright for us to do the same?
No, but it does mean that they shouldn't complain if the same thing is done to them.
To give an analogy:
Should criminals break into your house to kidnap your child and kill you, fail, but then get stuck when the police arrive, the cops will have the right to enter and capture (or kill) them if negotiations fail.
Too often, international law is used by the terrorists to hide from punishment for their acts. This is why the human shield trick works.
They (the terrorists) need to learn that they will never be safe; if they don't, then we (the West) will never be safe.
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