Friday, August 17, 2007

US risks foreign-policy blunder with plans to slap terrorist label on Iran's military

One of the reasons listed for US's saber-rattling against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is the claim that the Guard funds terrorist activity abroad including that of Hizbollah. The government of Lebanon has suffered greatly due to the operation of Hizbollah on its southern front, yet here in a moderate and mainstream Lebanese press we find criticism of this most recent case of US saber-rattling.

The editorial explains:

If the measure is approved, it would mark the first time in history that the US government has designated a military wing of a foreign country in such a way. It would also mark another disastrous foreign-policy blunder in a what is already a long list of mistakes made by the Bush administration...

The Bush administration's policy of dealing with Iran by using sticks, tough talk and threats has already proven ineffectual on all fronts. The only measurable impact of backing Iran into a corner - without offering a way out - is that the regime has been given a perfect excuse to impose domestic restrictions in the name of national security.

Read the editorial here.

Similar positions are also echoed in the New York Times:

Amid mixed US reactions to the plan, The New York Times denounced the move as clumsy and ill-conceived, in an editorial titled "Amateur hour on Iran."

"The dangers posed by Iran are serious, and America needs to respond with serious policies, not more theatrics," it wrote. Iran has already been on the US government blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism for more than two decades."

No comments: