Juan Cole's latest is absolutely certain that Iran's nuclear program is civilian:
Obama wants to negotiate with Iran regarding its civilian nuclear enrichment research program, but stressed that his patience is not infinite. Netanyahu, of course, wants military action against Iran on a short timetable.Did he really write that? Why are Arab countries worried?Netanyahu's hysteria about Iran is a piece of misdirection intended to sidestep the issue of Israel's own nuclear arsenal.
Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty, and allows regular inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, even if the latter is not completely satisfied with Iran's transparency. Israel just thumbed its nose at the NPT. Israel would only have the moral high ground in demanding that Iran cease enrichment research if it gave up its own some 150 warheads.What does "moral high ground" have to do with anything? This is more of a practical issue, Juan. And see if you can follow this reasoning:
As brutal as the Sri Lankan campaign was, it does not leave the Tamils at the end of the day without basic rights of citizenship in a state, which is the condition of the Palestinians-- who are therefore the most oppressed people in the world.QED.
Crossposted on Judeopundit
Posted by Judeopundit at May 20, 2009 3:13 AMjuan cole's writings are demented. So Tamils get wantonly slaughtered nevertheless the so-called "palestinians" are worse off? Not only worse off but the most oppressed people in the world? Really? More oppressed than the millions of people suffering under dictatorships and islamic sharia states? I do agree that the "palestinians" are oppressed, but they are being oppressed by their own terrorist rulers, certainly not by Israelis. Why are the "palestinians" without citizenship in a state? Because the arab countries have refused to take them into their own countries and give them citizenship.
Israel already has the high moral ground by the fact that it is a free democratic state as opposed to the islamic dictatorship and state sponsor of terror that Iran is. So that fact entitles Israel to have nuclear weapons while Iran should be prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons. Demanding Iran give up enrichment should not be predicated on Israel giving up its nuclear arsenal since the two countries are not morally equivalent.
juan cole and leftists are afflicted with a serious brain defect which causes them to see the world the way they do.
As Laura knows, there's already rumors making rounds the US intends to issue Israel an ultimatum, without its input. We can only hope they are not true. I can't see Israel submitting to bullies who want to tell the Jewish State to commit national suicide while leaving Iran's nuclear ambitions unchecked.
Posted by: NormanF at May 20, 2009 1:09 PM