May 28, 2009
The word mad for most of us means simply to be angry; a more accurate definition according to Webster is insane or unrestrained by reason and judgment. Mullah means teacher or preacher. On the surface both terms used consecutively to describe a person seems contradictory, however, according to a recent article in Newsweek by Fareed Zakaria many of the Iranian leaders, both cleric and political, refer to their president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as just that. The U.S., as well as the rest of the world, could easily be misled into believing Ahmadinejad’s chances of being re-elected are narrowing. If that is true are our worries about Iran and their nuclear weapons interests over? Not hardly! Here are some considerations to support that exclamation.
A recent AP article says that in 2003 it was believed that Tehran had halted its program to design a nuclear warhead because of international pressure. In 2007 a U.S. national intelligence assessment concluded that we may have underestimated Iran’s progress regarding the warhead. The belief now is that Iran ended its work because it had made sufficient progress and not because of pressure.
President of the Ploughshares Fund, Joseph Cirincione, in an article written for Foreign Policy magazine said that in the last three years a dozen Middle East countries have declared their intent to pursue civilian nuclear programs. He goes on to say, “I have a hard time believing that Middle East leaders got together to watch Al Gore’s movie and decided to reduce their carbon footprint. This is not about energy. It is about Iran.”
All these ingredients and much more have been added to the pot that is presently simmering, add Iran’s Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s warning and the pot begins to boil. He called for vigilance against “soft incursion” by enemies. Who are the enemies he is referring to—Global Arrogance and the Zionist regime—of course, the U.S., Israel and a few allies.
The question now, as it’s been for years, is what’s really going on? Is there an effort on the part of Iran’s hard-liners to broaden their response to the “soft incursion”? If they are (broadening their response) what form will it take; more weapons and money to Hizballah, Hamas, and support for the Taliban? The development of nuclear warheads and more sophisticated ICBM’s to deliver those warheads? Probably all the above.
The question becomes is there an immediate answer to this issue that will stop the Mad Mullah and others from driving the escalation of nuclear weapons proliferation to a predictable and rather dark conclusion?