We can lambast Iran for taking American hostages, but remember that in 1951, Dr. Mohammad Mosaddegh was elected prime minister by a parliamentary vote but he nationalised the oil industry. In response, in 1953 US President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized Operation Ajax, which resulted in the arrest of Mosaddegh on 19 August 1953. According to the book by Stephen Kinzer: All the Shah’s Men. An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror, John Wiley and Sons, 2003, the coup was the first time the US had openly overthrown an elected, civilian government. Iranians have long memories.
Should the USA be lambasted for overthrowing a legitmately elected and popular government, or do you think it is OK for the USA to do such?
In any case, it is not just Iran which might have the capacity to use the atomic bomb. As time passes, many more rogue states or individuals may come to possess this or a similar weapon. And what could be their justification for using the A-Bomb? Well, to listen to some of the justifications given here, of dropping the A-bomb resulting in civilian casualties in Japan - it hastened the end of the war, it did away with Hitler, it stopped theNazis, etc. What is to prevent rogue or terrorist individuals from coming up with their own end justifies the means type of argument? The precedent has been set by the USA and it is not a good one.
Hi, louis,
I agree that we were wrong to overthrow the duly elected government of Iran in 1953.
Justify Hiroshima and Nagasaki? You notice, I didn’t state the weapon. Because conventional incendiary bombs on Dresden, German and Tokyo, Japan took
at least as many lives and destroyed far more property than either A-bomb. Why aren’t you lamenting them? All those children?
WWII was a total war, on all sides. When you accept the atrocity which is war, but then decry one act of war, that seems a double standard, to me.
As far as either a rogue nation, terrorist NGO or disgruntled individual building a nuke, they have only their hatred to motivate them. That’s why I pay so little attention to what those who hate America say. It’s their hatred speaking. Hatred is wrong.
And, all the suicide bombers, car bombers, truck bombers and people who plant IEDs are wrong. They’re either too proud or too hate filled to admit they should give up because we militarily outclass them. They simply don’t know when to stop. They are nowhere near, in the right.
Now, Iran is different. There’s a plus. Their government not only hates Israel and us for backing her, but also are dabbling with a Shia “End Times” scenario, which they want to make come true.
That’s more dangerous than any WMD.
Their Ayatollah already has claimed that their Twelveth Imam has arrived, but that he has been appointed to speak for him. So, religion has been harnessed to expedite their hatred. And, the misuse of religion is more deadly than WMDs.
You may be right, that someday someone will justify nuking Israel or Amer4ica. That’s a minor reason why, except for the defense of Israel, I want us to stay out of the Near, Middle and Far East. We have no other business in any part of Asia. The major reason I want us out of there is so that our troops are not caught in a seething maelstrom of Asian armies, when it hits the fan. It will hit the fan.
Does that surprise you?
God loves you,
Don