Stop Talking to Wolves

July 12, 2011 By 12 Comments

Iran’s war via terrorist proxies continued in the nineties. Al Qaeda operatives received training in explosives, security, and intelligence in the Bekaa Valley, one of the trainers being the same Mugniyah who had murdered the Marines in Beirut. According to the 9/11 Commission Report, “there is strong evidence that Iran facilitated the transit of al Qaeda members into and out of Afghanistan before 9/11, and that some of these were future 9/11 highjackers.” Recently, two defectors from Iran’s intelligence service have said the regime had advanced knowledge of the attacks, and helped al Qaeda members escape to Iran afterwards. The 2008 attack on the U.S. embassy in Yemen was aided by Iran, and two U.S. citizens continue to be held on trumped-up charges of “spying.” And throughout the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have supplied insurgents with training and funds, as well as Russian anti-aircraft missiles, rocket-propelled grenades, 240mm rockets, and explosively formed projectiles. Just last year, General Petraeus testified that al Qaeda “continues to use Iran as a key facilitation hub, where facilitators connect al Qaeda’s senior leadership to regional affiliates.” Dozens of Al Qaeda leaders continue to find operational shelter in Iran. And of course, Iran is still relentlessly pursuing nuclear weapons capability, at which point it will be placed to take its 30-year war to a new gruesome level.

This catalogue of Iranian aggression is the necessary context for Mullen’s statement, and makes his revelation that “Iran is very directly supporting extremist Shiite groups which are killing our troops” a statement of the painfully obvious. Nor should we be surprised when a fanatical regime that publicly declared war on us acts on that declaration, particularly given the groveling appeasement with which this aggression continues to be met. Channelling Jimmy Carter and Neville Chamberlain, Obama has extended his diplomatic hand to the mullahs “without preconditions,” penned congratulatory letters to commemorate Iranian holidays, called for “co-operation in regional and bilateral relations,” given the regime a pass on its brutal June 2009 crackdown on Iranians protesting against the regime, imposed Swiss-cheese sanctions, and in the face of proven Iranian duplicity about its nuclear program insisted, “We remain committed to serious, meaningful engagement with Iran,” and the “offer stands” of “greater international integration if [Iran] lives up to its obligations.”

This misplaced diplomatic “outreach” reminds me of something Duff Cooper, First Lord of the Admiralty in Neville Chamberlain’s cabinet, said after the 1938 Munich conference: “The Prime Minister has believed in addressing Herr Hitler through the language of sweet reasonableness. I have believed that he was more open to the language of the mailed fist.” Given a similar misapprehension of the enemy, of course Iran continues to shed American blood and work against our interests. The more important story is why for 30 years both Republican and Democratic administrations have refused to accept the wisdom of the farmer in the Russian fable: “I only talk peace with wolves after I have skinned them.”

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Filed Under: Daily Mailer, FrontPage
About

Bruce Thornton is a Research Fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, and a Professor of Classics and Humanities at the California State University. He is the author of nine books and numerous essays on classical culture and its influence on Western Civilization.

  • jacob

    Please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this General PETREUS recently appointed
    CIA Director who said that Muslims were killing American soldiers because of the
    ARAB-ISRAELI conflict ???

    Now, would anybody say such piece of infinite wisdom fro somebody NOW in such important position presages anything good for Israel ????

    Or are ISRAEL's friends waiting for thew other shoe to fall to take action ???

    • ObamaYoMoma

      Watch out…telling the truth about General Petraeus is akin to heresy among neo-con establishment Republicans that have hijacked the Republican Party and morphed it into the second coming of the Dhimmicrat party. I mean if he ran for President today, I have no doubt those neo-con establishment Republicans would quickly jump on his bandwagon, because like General Petraeus, they also don’t have the first clue.

      In any event, like most neo-con establishment Republicans, General Petraeus couldn’t be anymore more mentally incompetent when it comes to understanding the ideology of Islam and the imminent threat it represents to the free world, as duping him is like stealing candy from a baby.

      Indeed, had General Petraeus been in charge at the end of WWII when the USA first realized it would have to combat Communism, I have no doubt that he would have declared that Communism is a totalitarian ideology of peace being hijacked by a tiny minority of extremists. Hence, it is perfectly understandable why Obama appointed him to head up the CIA.

      Lets face it, our military establishment, like the rest of our federal government as well, has been hijacked by the Left and transformed from a merit based organization to a diversity based organization, and Generals like General Petraeus and fantasy based nation-building missions to win hearts and minds are the direct results.

  • not me

    I think the article should be titled "Stop Talking to Weasels".

  • Jim_C

    I saw the names Carter and Obama…didn't see the name "Reagan," though. Must have been an oversight?

    • ObamaYoMoma

      People like you exceedingly myopic delusional Leftists are too narrow minded to realize that Reagan was completely focused on bringing down the Soviet Union, which at the time represented an exponentially far greater existential threat to the USA and the world. Hence, I can understand why Reagan didn’t let himself become distracted from heading down a different path. The problem was that Reagan didn’t have a third term in office, because if he had I have no doubt the ruling Mullahs of Iran would have already been obliterated a long time ago by now, and if you have any doubts about that then please look up Operation Praying Mantis. In fact, the author of this piece is remiss for not mentioning it.

      However, with respect to GHWB, Wag the Dog Bill Clinton, who needed a war ASAP to distract the American public from the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which is why the USA ended up fighting on the wrong side during that war, and GWB, as for as I’m concerned they were all also equally as incompetent and inept as Carter and Obama were also.

      In fact, if there was any justice in the world today, Bill Clinton would be in prison already for his Wag the Dog war and for murdering thousands of Christian Serbs in the process, and the USA and NATO would also be paying war reparations to Serbia today. Of course, anyone exposing the truth about Wag the Dog would also inevitably be hounded into committing suicide by Clinton attack dogs if they weren’t murdered first.

  • Ghostwriter

    Sadly,it seems that President Obama is bound and determined to be remembered in the same breath as Nevile Chamberlain. He doesn't seem to see that the Iranian mullahs are dangerous and can't be appeased in any way possible.

  • mcrobbins

    The Catalyst of Chaos has been getting away with murder for over thirty years. No administration has effectively dealt with this threat. Today the mullahs are developing nuclear weapons and sophisticated missiles. The country has become increasingly belligerant. The conspiratorial red hand of Iran can be found working mischief in any hot spot in the Middle East.

    Its deadly reach has extended even to the New World. The bombings in Buenos Aires are examples. Their agents and proxies are said to be active in the tri-border region in South America. They are trying to interject themselves into the Chavez government in Venezuela. It is said that their agents and proxies use the southern border to cross into the U.S.

    I think a lot of governments are really nervous about dealing with the Iranians, including the U.S. and Israel. This is NOT a rational acting state. They have threatened to open up Pandora's box if they were ever attacked. However, it will be far worse if they acquire nuclear weapons.

  • http://mypage.direct.ca/l/lbouchar/ SeaMystic

    CUT the NONSENSE, declare TOTAL WAR against Islam, PERIOD! No matter what they say, they follow Mohammed's edicts to Conquer, Kill and Enslave all non believers of Islam, wether by Terrorist attacks, Stealth, Infiltration and Financial Links. Why is it not understood, that we are in a full fledged WAR, due to Islam's various Attacks and Basic Doctrine?
    Sign the "Ban Islam" petition for starters at: http://www.petitiononline.com/MYSTIC/petition.htm…

    GUARDIANS OF DEMOCRACY, ARISE!

  • sam000

    You the Americans, you had 9/11 because you appeased the mullahs.

    Obama BACKS the MULLAHS, you will have a NUCLEAR 9/11 this time.

    USA is very strong, but with no brain.

  • ObamaYoMoma

    After the U.S. cut and run from Lebanon,

    I can forgive Reagan for cutting and running from Lebanon because Reagan was entirely focused on bringing down the Soviet Union, as the Soviets during that time represented an exponentially far greater existential threat to the world by far. In addition, Reagan was seeking the cooperation of oil rich Islamic states to increase oil production to drive oil prices down and at the same time deprive the Soviets of badly needed revenues from their greatest source of revenue.

    What I can’t understand though is after the Soviet Union collapsed is why the USA never exacted retribution on Iran by obliterating the ruling Mullahs? Lord knows the USA had plenty of justification.

    Of course, after Reagan’s final term all subsequent Presidents, both Republicans and Democrats alike, have all been pathetic leftwing moonbats. Which is also why America is in the piss poor shape it is in today and is also still pursuing silly counterproductive fantasy based nation-building missions, while at the same time also importing millions of Muslim stealth jihadists as fifth columnists into our country.

    Iran’s reward was the disastrous Iran-Contra scheme of 1985-86, which ransomed American hostages by selling advanced weaponry to the same regime that had American blood on its hands and that was sponsoring the kidnappers.

    You know I can also even countenance that had the USA exacted retribution on the Iranian Mullahs of Iran as soon as the Soviet Union had collapsed, but by that time Reagan was already out of power and his predecessors again were all leftwing moonbats.

    In fact, I believe that had Reagan had a third term, he would have obliterated the ruling Mullahs of Iran as soon as the Soviet Union had collapsed. I also believe that Reagan is rolling in his grave today because his predecessors also deliberately didn’t enforce the immigration laws that were supposed to go into affect as he was finishing up his final term.

  • voted against carter

    ' TAQIYYA '
    Do your own research about it if you don't know what this means.

    Islam IS EVIL. PERIOD.

    Islam strives for world domination.

    The Quran commands Muslims to exercise jihad.

    The Quran commands Muslims to establish shariah law.

    The Quran commands Muslims to impose Islam on the entire world.

    Islam is NOT a religion, it IS a totalitarian ideology.

    Islam wants to dominate all aspects of life, from the cradle to the grave.

    Shariah law is a law that controls every detail of life in a Islamic society.

    From civic- and family law to criminal law.

    It determines how one should eat, dress and even use the toilet.

    Oppression of women is good, drinking alcohol is bad.

    The core of the Quran is the call to jihad.

    Jihad means a lot of things and is Arabic for battle.

    Islam means submission, there cannot be any mistake about its goal.

    Islam and freedom, Islam and democracy are not compatible.

    They are opposite values.

    Mohamed's "wife" was six years old.

    That makes Mohamed a PEDOPHILE!!!

    And you want to base a "Religion" on this a z z -holes rantings?

    Are you INSANE?

  • SpiritOf1683

    When the first nuke or dirty bomb goes off in Manhattan is more like it. And even if that happens, there is less than a 50% chance of the US bringing down the hammer.