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| International |
| ’Axis of Evil’ Countries Feeling the Heat |
| 2003-04-15 |
| EFL The heat generated by the speedy collapse of President Saddam Hussein's government is being felt not just by Syria, but also by Iraq's fellows in President Bush's "axis of evil," Iran and North Korea. North Korea now says multilateral talks about its nuclear program - which the United States wants - are not necessarily a bad idea after all. Iran's former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, long allied with Islamic hard-liners against the "Great Satan" America, suggested over the weekend that Iran either hold a referendum or seek a decision from the Expediency Council advisory panel about restoring ties with the United States. "Saddam's fall and the American military operation's great success has had a real sobering effect on the Middle East. It's a wake-up call," said Scott Lasensky, an expert on the region for the Council on Foreign Relations. Specifically, Iran and Syria are watching to see if the overwhelming force used to implement Bush's pre-emptive strike doctrine brought down Saddam's government or if it buckled because it was weakened by domestic factors, Lasensky said. Bush's doctrine holds that the United States has an inherent right to attack any state posing an active threat to U.S. security. If Saddam fell purely because of the doctrine, Lasensky said, "that's even more sobering for these regimes." He advised the administration to talk up the ease with which the U.S. military staged such a massive show of strength. "Let the impression of Saddam's defeat sit with these leaders," Lasensky said. Secretary of State Colin Powell indicated Monday that the United States just may do that. Holding up Syria as an example, he called on all nations in the region to "review their past practices and behavior" in light of the change under way in Iraq. Danielle Pletka, a Middle East expert at the American Enterprise Institute, said some leaders, such as Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, are aware of the dynamics in the region. "What we want people to do is to step back, take a deep breath and reassess the decisions that they have been making that not only threaten the United States and our allies in the Middle East, but do not serve in any way the vast mass of the people in the Middle East," she said. "Certainly, initial steps away from sponsorship of terrorism are a smart move." According to South Korea's chief security adviser, the North Korean government realized that with Iraq neutralized, North Korean had no tactical advantage in continuing to resist global pressure for inspections of weapons facilities. "This war on Iraq seems to have become a significant opportunity in deciding the landscape of international politics," said Ra Jong-il, the South Korean adviser. In Israel, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon noted that the war in Iraq could lead to new opportunities for peace talks there. Sharon's national security adviser, Ephraim Halevy, said Monday in Washington that even though Arab leaders might react negatively if "a puppet regime" is installed in Baghdad, they also have shown greater willingness over the past year to pursue new paths to peace. Seems like we got their attention. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 I heard the jerk yesterday list 5 or 6 recent accomplishments (axis turning away from evil) and could not believe my ears. I usually turn him off as quickly as possible. Maybe he's sick? dorf |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-04-15 08:59:55 |
| #2 "In Israel, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon noted that the war in Iraq could lead to new opportunities for peace talks there." So I'm driving my car, listening to Daniel Shorr on NPR speaking about these developments (Iran, NoNo, Israel) and the old fool then actually asks, "Wouldn't it be ironic if the war lead to greater peace?" Ironic? DUH! What did that moron think we're doing this for? |
| Posted by: JDB 2003-04-15 08:41:43 |
| #1 Shorrs not a leftist Idiotarian, he tends to be pro-Israeli Labor, pro peace process, etc. While he may look "leftist" here, he's definitely to the right of the the NPR (IE Loren Jenkins) line. He's occasionally clueless, but often reasonable, and sometimes even insightful. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-15 09:54:14 |