How can US foreign policy be improved by the paradox that Iran is often viewed as Americas most serious threat even though its youthful population is among the most pro-western Muslim countries? - by David Gittlin

How can US foreign policy be improved by the paradox that Iran is often viewed as America's most serious threat even though its youthful population is among the most pro-western Muslim countries?

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by David Gittlin

Created on: July 09, 2008

It is a huge mistake for the United States government to isolate Iran as the number one threat to our national security. The Bush Administration has gone to great lengths to convince the American people that the international community must stop Iran from developing a nuclear energy program. The administration fears Iran will eventually produce nuclear weapons and use them against their enemies. We assume the Iranian Government and the people of Iran are all terrorists. This is as ridiculous as assuming the majority of American citizens think like David Koresch and the Branch Dravidians.

Our bellicose foreign policy approach to Iran is a danger to the possibility of peace in the Middle East. The danger posed by the democratically elected Iranian government to the United states is a matter of perception rather than a reality. Repeated threats of military intervention by the Bush administration serve only to harden public opinion against us, making constructive and fruitful diplomatic dialogue with Iran virtually impossible.

American military action in Iran would be a strategic error of enormous proportion. The United States has failed to prove the existence of a nuclear arms development program by the Iranian government or terrorist groups in the country. Therefore, there is no ethical foundation for military intervention. Using the presumption of weapons of mass destruction as a lame excuse to invade Iran, as was the case in the invasion of Iraq, would further weaken international support of U.S. foreign policy and our role as a world leader.

Iran controls the Straits of Hormuz, a major waterway used for the transportation of oil. U.S. military intervention in Iran would send the price of oil through the roof resulting in a knockout blow to our already vulnerable economy. The Bush administration has already mortgaged the country to the hilt to finance the war in Iraq. To plunge the country deeper into debt to expand the war into Iran is insane. This policy would invite inflation, a continued decline of the dollar on foreign currency markets, and precipitous economic recession.

While it is true the Iranian people suffer economic, social and spiritual repression by the religious government in power, change from within is happening. There are groups inside the country working peacefully towards a separation of church and state and freedom of choice in every area of life. There is no need for the United States government to usurp this process, as we have done with

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How can US foreign policy be improved by the paradox that Iran is often viewed as America's most serious threat even though its youthful population is among the most pro-western Muslim countries?

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