A Few Steps Beyond Rhetoric
Just wondering: has this little item appeared anywhere in the Stateside press? In what the Jerusalem Post is calling "a morbid show of bravado," Iran has dug mass graves for American troops in the event that the US attacks. The gesture was apparently prompted by the statement last week by Adm. Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, that the US has a "contingency plan" in place to attack Iran if necessary.
Teheran has also -- once again -- openly defied the Security Council. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran activated its second centrifuge cascade yesterday. This means it is now capable of enriching uranium at up to 20%. Twenty percent enriched uranium is categorized as weapons-grade nuclear material. (Ninety-five percent enrichment is required to build an atomic bomb.)
Is the Teheran leadership's apparent desire for a showdown getting much play in the US? And should it?
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Re: A Few Steps Beyond Rhetoric
"Should it?" -- interesting question. Just as a thought experiment, ask yourself what the world would look like if the only response to September 11 had been a small item, buried on page A32 of The New York Times, headlined "Traffic Snarled in Lower Manhattan." Then radio silence. Would any response have been more discouraging and terrifying to those tempted to emulate the hijackers' examples? Not, obviously, that this was ever a possibility, but I do sometimes wonder if our getting publicly hysterical about stories like the one you mention doesn't just embolden these freaks.
Edited on Aug 10, 2010 at 8:38amJun '10
Re: A Few Steps Beyond Rhetoric
I haven't seen anything on the subject. But it is certainly nice of the Iranians to make these preparations.
However, should the U.S. invade (I can't see it happening under Obama, no matter the provocation), I believe there will be more Iranian soldiers interred in the mass graves than Americans.
I'm certainly not in favor of invasion (at least at this point), but if we do, I'm putting my money on the Americans.
Jul '10
Re: A Few Steps Beyond Rhetoric
Yes, of course it should be news. Perhaps it is. This is the first I've heard of it, but I have tunnel vision this time of year.
Contra Claire, it just doesn't matter whether the freaks are emboldened. We're responsible for making the best decisions we can. Accurate info is essential to solid decision-making.
Frankly, I doubt they can win, though we can surely lose.