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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran's Proxy War Against America: Recommendations |
| 2007-09-11 |
| Link to long pdf. As Iraq becomes duller due to success of the surge, more attention will be directed to this problem. The previous chapters document some of the evidence tying Iran to al-Qaeda. But the consensus inside America today remains that the two have had little or nothing to do with each other. As a result, six years after the September 11 attacks, America still lacks a clear understanding of her terrorist enemies. What follows are five recommendations to help America defeat al-Qaeda and its Iranian ally. Be honest with ourselves about Tehran’s war on America. The mullahs of Iran have exported anti-American terror¬ism around the world for decades. (See the Appendix to this essay.) Yet, America has chosen to look the other way. It is long past time America changed her approach. No matter what solution to the Iranian problem America’s leaders choose, it cannot be grounded in the delusions of the past. Open a public, Congressional investigation into Iran’s and Hezbollah’s ties to 9/11 and other al-Qaeda attacks. Only late in the 9/11 Commission’s investigation did the potential scope of Iran’s involvement become clear. As a result, the com¬missioners called for further investigation into Iran’s and Hezbollah’s potential involvement in the September 11 attacks. To date, however, the U.S. government has not begun such an investigation. Given Imad Mugniyah’s long history of pioneering anti-American terrorism and clear evidence of his prior relationship with al-Qaeda, particular attention should be paid to the evidence of his role in the attack. Declassify The Evidence. It is time, therefore, for much of the evidence to be declassified and released to the American public. The American people themselves are capable of weighing and considering the evidence of Iran’s complicity in al-Qaeda’s terror. In particular, the documents uncovered by the 9/11 Commission in the final days of its investigation should be declassified. Demand Iran turn over the al-Qaeda fugitives living on Iranian soil. Iran has reportedly offered to turn over the al-Qaeda leaders in exchange for members of the MEK . The Iranian offer is, most likely, a ruse. But as long as the Bush Administration rejects the offer out-of-hand, the mullahs can claim that it is America who is refusing to deal. The President should call their bluff. Devise a realistic strategy for confronting Iran. If America’s intelligence services were to have specific intelligence pinpointing the location of senior al-Qaeda leaders, then airstrikes should certainly not be off-limits. Most importantly, if another major terrorist attack on the U.S. is executed and evidence of Iran’s hand once again surfaces, then all bets should be off. America simply cannot afford to make any more excuses for Iran. At the end of the day, military strikes are not nearly as powerful as the potential of the Iranian people. Much like the former captives of the Eastern bloc, there is copious evidence that the Iranian populace yearns for freedom. America should not hesitate to throw her full support—financial or otherwise—behind them. And America should not hide her support; it should be clearly communicated policy. A full Cold War-style plan for Iranian containment should also be enacted. Rolling back Iran’s influence throughout the Middle East and the world should be a prime objective. Six years after 9/11, the identity of our terrorist enemies and their allies remains clouded by erroneous assumptions made by counterterrorism analysts who continually misdiagnose their threat. America has long had a blind spot when it comes to her terrorist enemies. But the victims of their terror deserve better. America’s best, who have fallen in defense of her freedom, deserve better. It is long past the day when America should have dealt with Iran’s role in their murder. |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |