Krauthammer on Iran

Syria is weak and deterred by Israel. North Korea, having gone nuclear, is untouchable. That leaves Iran. There are only two things that will stop the Iranian nuclear program: revolution from below or an attack on its nuclear facilities.

The country should be ripe for revolution. But the mullahs are very good at police-state tactics. The long-awaited revolution is not happening. Which makes the question of preemptive attack all the more urgent. Iran will go nuclear during the next presidential term. If nothing is done, a fanatical terrorist regime openly dedicated to the destruction of the ‘Great Satan’ will have both nuclear weapons and the terrorists and missiles to deliver them. All that stands between us and that is either revolution or preemptive strike.

Both of which, by the way, are far more likely to succeed with 146,000 American troops and highly sophisticated aircraft standing by just a few miles away – in Iraq.

Krauthammer makes an excellent point concerning Iran. Pre-emption really does become a question of stopping non-nuclear states from becoming nuclear.

Of course, there is some question as to whether or not an air strike on the order of the 1981 Osirak reactor would only delay the inevitable. Revolution or a significant commitment of ground troops would be the only way of preventing nuclear blackmail.