Bernard Lewis is one of the world's foremost authorities on Islam and the Middle East so when he speaks people listen. The World Tribune.com ran an article the other day on a conference in Jerusalem at which Lewis was a featured speaker. Here's the gist of the article:
Iran could welcome a nuclear war with Israel or the United States.
A leading U.S. scholar on the Middle East has asserted that Iran's leadership does not resemble the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Bernard Lewis, a professor at Princeton University, said the mullah regime in Teheran believes that the Shi'ite messiah would be ushered back by a nuclear war, Middle East Newsline reported.
"Iran's leadership comprises a group of extreme fanatical Muslims who believe that their messianic times have arrived," Lewis said. "This is quite dangerous. Though Russia and the U.S. both had nuclear weapons, it was clear that they would never use them because of MAD - mutual assured destruction. Each side knew it would be destroyed if it would attack the other."
"But with these people in Iran, mutually assured destruction is not a deterrent factor, but rather an inducement," Lewis said. "They feel that they can hasten the final messianic process. This is an extremely dangerous situation of which it is important to be aware."
In an address to the Jerusalem Conference on Feb. 20, Lewis, a longtime consultant to the U.S. and other Western governments, said Iran was working to assemble a nuclear weapon. He said Teheran regards a nuclear weapon as in the interest of Islam.
"It is actively pursuing nuclear power. Even a non-nuclear Iran is dangerous for Israel, and it must be carefully watched."
So, Iran yearns for the advent of the twelfth imam which can only happen if there's a nuclear war. Iran is building nuclear weapons and will not be dissuaded from their goal. So far from being intimidated by the prospect of mutual destruction, they welcome it. Given these facts, what is the only rational policy for the world to adopt? Obama says he'd gather our allies and sit down and talk to the Iranians, but what would they talk about? Unless we are prepared to use overwhelming force to destroy their weapons program what incentive do the Iranians have to heed anything a President Obama tells them? Why aren't the Democrats being pressed harder on this?
The civilized world needs to unify behind a two stage policy of shutting down the Iranian economy and fomenting revolution in Tehran. If that doesn't work then there needs to be a massive pre-emptive air and ground assault on their nuclear facilities and their leadership. This would have terrible consequences, to be sure, but the only other option is to let Iran build their nukes and that option is an invitation to a nuclear holocaust.
Unfortunately, George Bush seems to have decided to pass Iran on to his successor. God help Israel, and us, if that successor thinks that talk without the threat of real punishment will deter religious zealots who see themselves as the agents of Allah.
RLC
