Rumbustious Iran (1)

The international community is getting really stirred up about Iran’s decision to acquire nuclear weapons. This odd title does not make sense as it is not include the whole world, but only the rich and powerful. And it has about as much connection with a real community as a gang of playground bullies.

Anyway this so-called international community is stirred up about Iran. They seem surprised that Iran would want nuclear weapons. I cannot think why.

Iran is sitting on a mountain of oil and is surrounded by nuclear nations. On its eastern flank, India has a billion people and nuclear weapons. An Indian empire threatened Iran during the 16th and 17th century. To the north is Russia with an enormous nuclear arsenal and a ruthless government. Within striking distance from the west is Israel, also armed with nuclear weapons and a history of striking beyond its border.

Even closer to the western border of Iran is Iraq, which invaded Iran in 1980. More than a million Iranians died defending their nation from this attack. Iraq does not have military weapons, but is currently hosting 150,000 United States forces.

The Iranians have a long history of dealing with the United States and it is not a pretty story. In 1953, the CIA organized the overthrow of the democratically-elected Mossadeq government and installed Shah Reza as dictator over Iran . The Shah caused terrible suffering for the Iranian people, but when he was overthrown by the Islamic revolution, the United States responded by freezing all Iranian assets held in America (so much for building democracy).

The United States also provided support and weapons to Iraq when it invaded Iran. It even got involved in 1988, when an American warship stationed in the Gulf shot down an Iranian airbus on a scheduled flight to Dubai. Two hundred and ninety-nine passengers were killed, many of them women and children traveling to a wedding celebration.

Iran is surrounded by nations with nuclear weapons that have attempted to invade it in the past, so I am not surprised that the Iranian government wants the protection of nuclear weapons.

The international community was powerless to protect Iran when Iraq invaded in the 1980s. In fact many of them cheered the invader on, secretly wanting to see the Khomeini government fall, so I am not surprised that Iran does not trust the international community.

I believe that nuclear weapons are immoral, but I can understand why the Iranians want them.