Iran’s secret, Israel’s likely response (Sept. 26)
By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune
Imagine how surprised Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad must have been when he was informed in a taped meeting at The New York Times that his cover had been blown, and that the United States and now everybody else was on to the secret uranium enrichment plant his country is building 100 miles southwest of Tehran.
Ahmadinejad claims the plant is for peaceful purposes, but if you believe that you’re probably also betting on the Giants to win the pennant this year.
To his credit, President Obama delivered stern words to Iran, saying that rough sanctions would be imposed if Iran didn’t stop work on the plant and make it inoperable.
However, sanctions are meaningless to the Iranians because they are an oil-rich state and can get other, less-particular states to do business with them. Like North Korea, for example. Also, they know the U.S. hardly ever follows through on its threats.
Sanctions or no sanctions, however, we have little to fear from an Iranian nuclear plant, because it is unlikely the Israelis will allow it to reach a point where it would be turning out weapons which could be used against them.
The Israelis have an almost unblemished record of defending their national interests, and it would certainly be in those interests to blow that nuclear facility to kingdom come.
After defending themselves, of course, they would come home to a chorus of world condemnation, such as they have been getting for finally launching an armed response against years of Hamas rocket attacks launched from Gaza. Some of this criticism occurred because the Hamas soldiers bravely hid behind civilians instead of protecting them, and as a result Israeli bullets sometimes hit people who didn’t deserve to be hit.
No doubt some innocent Iranians would die, too.
Meanwhile, we should let the Iranians know that we will do nothing to stop Israel from doing its work.
