Question: Iran, Israel, the US and War

[phantom power]

I get the sense that we are drifting toward a war that no sane person wants. A war in which, much like WWI, political factors, alliances, and mistrust and suspicion on all sides is creating the perfect storm. This is a war that can be avoided, but which no one appears willing to avoid for reasons of both internal and international politics, the threat of an arms race and paranoia among the various political leaders involved.

Remember this: In 2003 President Bush had the opportunity to strike a grand deal with Iran's far more moderate leadership under President Khatami, one which Cheney and his senior aides rejected out of hand on Bush's behalf. That deal would have addressed the issue of Iran's nuclear program according to Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, then Secretary of State Colin Powell's principal aide.

As a result, Khatami was replaced by the more extreme radical fundamentalist, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as Iran's President in 2005, and our best chance for a more favorable diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear problem was "taken off the table." Now look where we are, again. Rumors of war with Iran again have taken center stage, only this time a Democratic President sits in office. Will he be able to prevent Israel, itself under the more radical regime of President Netanyahu, from setting off another Middle eastern conflict, one with the real possibility of causing great harm to Israel, the United States and the rest of the world? I wish I had the answer. We lucked out that Cheney's monomania about attacking Iran during the second term of George Bush was avoided by the courageous actions of a few high level generals and good fortune. We may not be so lucky again.

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2012/1/26/83617/7108