For all that the recent IAEA report on Iran dragged evidence out of the trash bin that had previously been found to be too unreliable to take seriously, it still stopped short of stating definitively that Iran has an active nuclear weapons program. Recent reports from the combined intelligence agencies of the United States have consistently found that there is no evidence of an active nuclear weapons program in Iran. The U.S. Secretary of Defense stated earlier this month that he doesn't believe the Iranians have an active nuclear weapons program.
But Stephen Harper is insisting that not only does he know better but that the moment Iranians have nukes, they'll use them.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says a consensus is growing among world leaders that Iran would have no hesitation using nuclear arms once they develop the weapons and the capability to deliver them.
"I've watched and listened to what the leadership in the Iran regime says, and it frightens me," Mr. Harper said in a CBC interview.
"In my judgment, these are people who have a particular, you know, fanatically religious worldview, and their statements imply to me no hesitation of using nuclear weapons if they see them achieving their religious or political purposes," he said.
This is classic demonization.
Elsewhere in the article he states that this isn't like Iraq — referring to the propaganda campaign used to justify that invasion — but this is exactly like Iraq. Saddam Hussein was painted as the biggest threat to the planet since Hitler and twice as crazy. Now it's Iran's turn. It would be suicidal for the Iranians to launch a nuclear attack so Harper insists that, yes, they're that crazy so we have to act before they do. He's making the case for a pre-emptive military strike. And gee, I wonder who else wants that? (And here I'm not referring to candidates for the Republican presidential nomination. In case that's not obvious.)
This kind of belligerent rhetoric surrounding an already unstable situation in the most unstable region of the planet is just stunningly irresponsible.
Harper wants Obama OUT as badly as Israel and the GOP do.
You think Israel cares? Obama caved every time they challenged him. The people trying to hold the line and not do incredibly stupid things vis-a-vis Iran don't seem to be Obama or his people so much as the actual Pentagon people, who seem to be aware that they are unlikely to enjoy the results of an attack.
Every time the Americans do a new thing in the Middle East it makes me think of the possibly apocryphal exchange after Vietnam. You know, the one where the American officer complains along the lines of "We won every battle!" and the Vietnamese replies "That may well be true. It is also irrelevant."
The Americans got lots of firepower. They attack place after place, and they "win" and "win" and "win", and every time their overall position gets worse. If they score a "victory" in Iran, I suspect they really won't enjoy the results. "Insurgent" is just another word for nothing left to lose.
And yes, it is precisely like Iraq. I keep waiting for Clinton or somebody to say they can't "wait for the smoking gun, which could come in the form of a mushroom cloud". The whole thing is so just the same it's like a freaking rerun, but it won't surprise me if the majority of the population are so stupid they buy it anyway.
Hansard, January 29, 2003
Mr. Stephen Harper (Leader of the Opposition, Canadian Alliance):
"Mr. Chairman, I welcome the opportunity to once again address the issue of Iraq.
Let me first recap the position I laid before the House on October 1, 2002. I argued then that the time had come for Canada to pledge support to the developing coalition of nations, including Britain, Australia, the United States and others, in their determination to send a clear signal to Saddam Hussein that failure to comply with an unconditional program of inspection would justify action to remove Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction.
I noted that there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein operates programs to produce weapons of mass destruction. Experience confirms this. British, Canadian and American intelligence leaves no doubt on the matter. Saddam Hussein's continued non-compliance and non-cooperation with the United Nations only confirms this information.
His known ties to terrorist organizations and his continued development of weapons of mass destruction would accelerate, leaving the world a less safe place and heightening the possibility of a repeat of September 11 or far worse.
We should be under no illusions. As the nation closest to the United States geographically, culturally and economically, we will inevitably be subject to the full consequences of any attack on the United States, if not also subject to any attack itself."