How should the US approach Iran?

[JBeukema]

in your opinion

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

in your opinion

Mind our business. The Iranian people don't need our approval to do what they're doing, and the Iranian government won't listen to us regardless and they'll simply hold anything we do or say against us.

 

[xotoxi]

in your opinion

Mind our business. The Iranian people don't need our approval to do what they're doing, and the Iranian government won't listen to us regardless and they'll simply hold anything we do or say against us.

I agree. I think that even if the current regime remains in power, they are weakened and tarnished, and the more violent they are in response, the less support they will have going forward.

Plus, significant and time/resource consuming internal strife may make Iran less of a threat worldwide.

 

[ReillyT]

in your opinion

First, I wouldn't label our current course of action as supporting the "existing powers."

Otherwise, as the course of events and outcomes are very much uncertain, and we are not clear what effect any action on our part would have anyway, we should hold our tongue, except for the usual platitudes about importance of democracy, restraint, peace, etc.

 

[Oddball]

Hard to say, given the rather dubious reputation -at best- of the American gubmint in Iran.

A good place to start would probably be to do no further harm to that reputation...If that's even possible.

 

[Kalam]

Expressing our support for the reformist movement would stigmatize it and cause it to lose much of what popularity it still has. As in most situations, we'd be best off minding our own business.

 

[Soaring]

We don't have the troops or money to wage a ground war with Iran, so I say just shut the fuck up and let the young Iranians handle the situation there. We have no business interfering in their political process anyway since it doesn't directly affect us with the exception of the current regime wanting to build an A bomb. We can however, place sanctions on them if they continue to build the A bomb. We can also monitor the shipping lanes into and out of Iran just like we are doing with N Korea to stop trafficking of materiels to build those bombs. Yes, blockadeing is an act of war, but then they would have to declare war on us, and attack us. That would be a bad mistake on their part knowing the awesome airpower we have.

 

[JBeukema]

Yea... sanctions... because that works

 

[Harry Dresden]

Expressing our support for the reformist movement would stigmatize it and cause it to lose much of what popularity it still has. As in most situations, we'd be best off minding our own business.

Kalam....i work with a guy who was born and raised in Iran....and 90% of his family are still there....after their last elections he told me and a few other guys....leave them alone,the people in Iran will take care of the leaders there....he said they want exactly what any person would want for themselves and their families,and the FREEDOMS that we have here, AND THEY KNOW IT EXISTS.....and given time...they will get it.....it may take a few elections,but after each election,things will start getting closer and closer to what they want.....compared to the aftermath of the last election, this is much different.....

 

[Paulie]

We should speak softly, and carry a big stick.

They know they're toast if they do anything stupid. I don't understand why some think they'd be dumb enough to attack the US or an ally. They're pretty much surrounded by the most awesome military power on the earth. Realistically speaking, what are their options? NOTHING.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

Today's statement from the President on Iran, good but about three days late:

The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.

As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.

Martin Luther King once said -- "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." I believe that. The international community believes that. And right now, we are bearing witness to the Iranian peoples' belief in that truth, and we will continue to bear witness.

Should have been, within hours after the "victory" was announced:

"I umm.... call into uhh-question.... Umm, the ability of any nation...... Ahh.. to count 30 million..... Ahh-handwritten votes, by hand. Ahhh-without machines or computers... in just two hours. Or even twelve. Ummm-my concern... is the physical impossibility of that...... Ahh.. unless they had about a half million...... Umm-people doing the counting.... Ahh-and started counting..... Umm... right when the polls opened. Not even our friends the Japanese..... Umm-are that efficient."

Oh and:

must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.

He should take his own words to heart.

 

[Gunny]

We don't have the troops or money to wage a ground war with Iran, so I say just shut the fuck up and let the young Iranians handle the situation there. We have no business interfering in their political process anyway since it doesn't directly affect us with the exception of the current regime wanting to build an A bomb. We can however, place sanctions on them if they continue to build the A bomb. We can also monitor the shipping lanes into and out of Iran just like we are doing with N Korea to stop trafficking of materiels to build those bombs. Yes, blockadeing is an act of war, but then they would have to declare war on us, and attack us. That would be a bad mistake on their part knowing the awesome airpower we have.

Very simplistic thinking.

As far as the current political situation, we need to keep our eyes and ears open and mouths shut. Iranians are uber-nationals. ANY outside support for EITHER side could as easily lead to both sides turning on the ones try to interfere. Throwing our support behind the reformists would just be bad PR for them. Nobody likes us, and surprise surprise, even Bush being out of office and Obama's apology tour didn't change that a damned bit.

The embargo thingy is naive. Iran is getting it's technology from Russia. They share a land border last I looked. Your answer to that is to place an embargo on their shipping?

 

[Soaring]

Yea... sanctions... because that works

Sanctions against allowing A-bomb materiels to enter the country will work to stop the building of an A-bomb. As far as I know, Uranium and other A-Bomb materiels are not readily available in Iran. If you are building widgets, and all of a sudden the materiels for building your widgets is cut off, you can no longer build widgets.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

Yea... sanctions... because that works

Sanctions against allowing A-bomb materiels to enter the country will work to stop the building of an A-bomb. As far as I know, Uranium and other A-Bomb materiels are not readily available in Iran. If you are building widgets, and all of a sudden the materiels for building your widgets is cut off, you can no longer build widgets.

Iran shares land borders with who? Quick!

Yeah, we'll really make sanctions work.

 

[Gunny]

Yea... sanctions... because that works

Sanctions against allowing A-bomb materiels to enter the country will work to stop the building of an A-bomb. As far as I know, Uranium and other A-Bomb materiels are not readily available in Iran. If you are building widgets, and all of a sudden the materiels for building your widgets is cut off, you can no longer build widgets.

Read my previous post. Iran shares a land border with Russia and Russia is supplying the technology and undoubtedly material to Iran. A naval blockade would be worthless.

How do you propose to enforce sanctions in all of Iran's land borders?

 

[Annie]

We don't have the troops or money to wage a ground war with Iran, so I say just shut the fuck up and let the young Iranians handle the situation there. We have no business interfering in their political process anyway since it doesn't directly affect us with the exception of the current regime wanting to build an A bomb. We can however, place sanctions on them if they continue to build the A bomb. We can also monitor the shipping lanes into and out of Iran just like we are doing with N Korea to stop trafficking of materiels to build those bombs. Yes, blockadeing is an act of war, but then they would have to declare war on us, and attack us. That would be a bad mistake on their part knowing the awesome airpower we have.

It's worked great with NK.

 

[Gunny]

We don't have the troops or money to wage a ground war with Iran, so I say just shut the fuck up and let the young Iranians handle the situation there. We have no business interfering in their political process anyway since it doesn't directly affect us with the exception of the current regime wanting to build an A bomb. We can however, place sanctions on them if they continue to build the A bomb. We can also monitor the shipping lanes into and out of Iran just like we are doing with N Korea to stop trafficking of materiels to build those bombs. Yes, blockadeing is an act of war, but then they would have to declare war on us, and attack us. That would be a bad mistake on their part knowing the awesome airpower we have.

It's worked great with NK.

Hasn't it though?

 

[Soaring]

Yea... sanctions... because that works

Sanctions against allowing A-bomb materiels to enter the country will work to stop the building of an A-bomb. As far as I know, Uranium and other A-Bomb materiels are not readily available in Iran. If you are building widgets, and all of a sudden the materiels for building your widgets is cut off, you can no longer build widgets.

Read my previous post. Iran shares a land border with Russia and Russia is supplying the technology and undoubtedly material to Iran. A naval blockade would be worthless.

How do you propose to enforce sanctions in all of Iran's land borders?

Russia may be sharing the technology to Iran, but not the Material. Russia does not have any material they can share anymore. Those materials they used back during the cold war came from former Soviet Bloc Countries. So, Russia no longer has control of Nuclear bomb yellow cake to sell or give away. The other countries involved in having it are Austrailia, Niger, and Canada. The only way those countries can get that to Iran is by sea or air. Both of which can be blockaded.

 

[Annie]

We don't have the troops or money to wage a ground war with Iran, so I say just shut the fuck up and let the young Iranians handle the situation there. We have no business interfering in their political process anyway since it doesn't directly affect us with the exception of the current regime wanting to build an A bomb. We can however, place sanctions on them if they continue to build the A bomb. We can also monitor the shipping lanes into and out of Iran just like we are doing with N Korea to stop trafficking of materiels to build those bombs. Yes, blockadeing is an act of war, but then they would have to declare war on us, and attack us. That would be a bad mistake on their part knowing the awesome airpower we have.

It's worked great with NK.

Hasn't it though?

All the challenges right now. Following the NK boat, that we are NOT going to board or force to port. The July 4th 'threat' reported by Japan intel.

Now it appears that one way or another, without a revolution in Iran, any hope for diplomacy is gone. If the regime keeps force at the level of today and 'win', they cannot be talked with. If the regime falls? Who knows?

Not even mentioning Iraq, Iran, Palestinians, Syria, and that Israel may well act unilaterally.

Good news, Iran troops and Guards are now tied up internally.

 

[Gunny]

Sanctions against allowing A-bomb materiels to enter the country will work to stop the building of an A-bomb. As far as I know, Uranium and other A-Bomb materiels are not readily available in Iran. If you are building widgets, and all of a sudden the materiels for building your widgets is cut off, you can no longer build widgets.

Read my previous post. Iran shares a land border with Russia and Russia is supplying the technology and undoubtedly material to Iran. A naval blockade would be worthless.

How do you propose to enforce sanctions in all of Iran's land borders?

Russia may be sharing the technology to Iran, but not the Material. Russia does not have any material they can share anymore. Those materials they used back during the cold war came from former Soviet Bloc Countries. So, Russia no longer has control of Nuclear bomb yellow cake to sell or give away. The other countries involved in having it are Austrailia, Niger, and Canada. The only way those countries can get that to Iran is by sea or air. Both of which can be blockaded.

You cannot blockade the air unless you want to shoot foreign nationals out of the sky. You also cannot blockade submarines.

Iran is getting uranium from somewhere. It's as simple as that. They could even have their own.

You got a link to that info on Russian fissile material? I can't say I'm willing to buy off on that.