Article

2008-05-22 Home Front: Politix

Rice defends Bush policy on Iran as 'successful'

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by gorb 2008-05-22 03:16|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top
File under: Govt of Iran

#1 The president has forced Britain, France and Germany to stay on-side, since after all only their successful negotiations with Iran for denuclearization will keep him from doing another American Cowboy thing; the quietly demanded bank boycott of Iranian government and private accounts has severely hobbled Iranian efforts to buy stuff or sell oil to most of the world; the Iranian armed forces have been living on their nerves for a few years, seeing American invasions overt or covert in groups of deadly airplane crashes, the murder of unpopular local clergy, and an excess of squirrels; Iranian trainers, officers, money bags, and bomb-makers keep making the international news when they arearrested or even kiled in the wilds of Shiite Iraq; and finally, Hizb'allah has incurred the anger and resentment of most of the Lebanese, after their precipitous kidnapping last summer resulted in the as-yet unrepaired destruction of the Shiite side of Lebanon, ie on the Israeli side of the Litani River, not to mention this year's unsuccessfu coup attempt.

I'd say President Bush's policy is far from unsuccessful.

Posted by trailing wife">trailing wife 2008-05-22 09:34|| 2008-05-22 09:34|| Front Page Top

#2 The success or failure of Bush's Iran policy hinges on only one issue, their successful development of nuclear weapons. I'll wait till December to reach a conclusion

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2008-05-22 09:46|| 2008-05-22 09:46|| Front Page Top

#3 I will give them this: somehow they've put enuff asschewing and arm twisting on China to temporarily stem their appetite for Iranian crude. Japan probably taking delivery also. How long can they hold with oil in short supply ? Anyway, working now with Iran stockpiling oil in offshore tankers. Sure would be a shame if one of these sunk, wouldn't it ? Course the enviros would flip out, but maybe they'd forget Global Warming for a month or two.

Posted by Woozle Elmeter 2700 2008-05-22 09:51|| 2008-05-22 09:51|| Front Page Top

#4 and an excess of squirrels

Especially the ones that whirr and beep.

Posted by lotp 2008-05-22 12:06|| 2008-05-22 12:06|| Front Page Top

#5 Or not, as the case may be. Miniaturization proceeds apace in the American and Israeli technical establishments.

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-05-22 12:48|| 2008-05-22 12:48|| Front Page Top

#6 TW, as usual I find much to agree with in your post. It is easy to cast off Bush's Iran policy as a failure and in many ways, it certainly appears as a failure on the surface.

Yet below the surface, Iran is in the midst of a brewing economic crisis. This could easily domino into civil unrest of an order the powers that be Iran will find difficult to control. This could very will result in regime change on it's own.

Furthermore, Iran has gone to great lengths to stymie our efforts in Iraq and the efforts of the Iraqis themselves. This is a fact that has already come to light but few have paid much attention. It will continue to come to light as things in Iraq improve and Iraq gains the confidence to confront Iran's duplicity.

That is why I think the true measure of Bush's Iran policy has much to do with Iraq. Should we succeed in leaving a thriving democratic ally in place of Saddam's tyranny, it will surely prove to be a major strategic victory for the US vis-a-vis Iran. It's little wonder that Iran is doing everything it can, outside of invading Iraq themselves, to prevent that from happening.

When we prevail in Iraq, and the path to victory is now before us, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised that Iran starts whistling a different tune entirely.

Posted by eltoroverde 2008-05-22 13:53|| 2008-05-22 13:53|| Front Page Top

#7 You make me blush, eltoreverde. Especially since what you wrote as a putative follow up is so much more useful than my glittering generalities -- especially the squirrels. I'm still coming to terms with the hysteria over the squirrels.

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-05-22 15:56|| 2008-05-22 15:56|| Front Page Top

#8 Which is amusing (the hysteria) because it means they haven't come to terms with the insect-sized listening robots we've got.

Posted by lotp 2008-05-22 19:48|| 2008-05-22 19:48|| Front Page Top

#9 Even Boris knows to be wary of moose and squirrel.

Posted by Seafarious 2008-05-22 20:03|| 2008-05-22 20:03|| Front Page Top

#10 might be time to get rid of the crabs, Hugo. Just saying. Nevermind

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-05-22 20:37|| 2008-05-22 20:37|| Front Page Top

#11 What about this?

Posted by Bobby 2008-05-22 21:42|| 2008-05-22 21:42|| Front Page Top

23:46 bigjim-ky
23:44 McZoid
23:42 bigjim-ky
23:40 bigjim-ky
23:35 bigjim-ky
23:29 bigjim-ky
23:25 bigjim-ky
23:24 swksvolFF
23:20 Harcourt Jush7795
23:19 tu3031
23:16 Frank G
23:15 DMFD
23:05 tu3031
22:59 tu3031
22:55 Harcourt Jush7795
22:54 Barbara Skolaut
22:53 Harry Reid
22:51 tu3031
22:39 tu3031
22:38 Angie Schultz
22:34 Yosemite Sam
22:22 crosspatch
22:19 Intrinsicpilot
22:11 OldSpook