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| President Ahmadinejad of Iran touring a nuclear facility |
The tension between Washington and Tehran has been increasing steadily
in the past few months. From the crash of a secret American drone in
Iranian territory, to the assassination of a prominent Iranian
scientist, to the continued threats from Tehran towards U.S., Israel and
Britain, the air seems to be thickening all around us. It's moments and events like these that eventually lead up to wars and conflicts.
Many would say that there already is a war waging between America and
Iran. Just over the past few months alone, a number of events have
brought to light this shadowy and often unknown world of intelligence
gathering and military posturing that is often seen in clandestine wars
like these.
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| Protesters during the 1979 revolution in Iran donning posters of the leader of the revolt, Ayatollah Khomeini |
A cyber attack that many claimed the C.I.A carried out on an
Iranian nuclear facility was just another form of a missile strike
between the two nations. The drone that supposedly malfunctioned itself
into Iranian territory is a modern version of gathering intelligence on
the enemy. The summary trial and pending execution of an accused
American-Iranian spy in Tehran is a war criminal being put on trial. The
assassination of a prominent Iranian scientist is just another casualty
of this secret war being waged behind the scenes. All in all, a war has
not been declared, but it can be said that a war is being fought.
The 1979 revolution in Iran which started off with the over throw of the Shah and ended with the takeover of the American Embassy where over 60 workers were held hostage for 444 days could be seen as the day war was declared. Through negotiations carried out by then President Ronald Reagan and the C.I.A., weapons and ammunition were funneled through terrorist groups in Nicaragua to the Islamists in Tehran to have the hostages released. To the American government this was a short term solution to what they knew was going to be a long term problem.
The problem? A hostile nation, with access to immense resources, centered in one of the most strategically important areas of the globe, was now attempting at the expense of international law, at obtaining and enriching uranium for nuclear purposes. This was a sore sight for C.I.A. officials and businessmen who enjoyed a comfortable relationship with Iran under the western backed Shah. For this, the Iranian regime was deemed to have no validity and was to be prevented in anyway from achieving their goal of becoming a nuclear power.
Sanctions imposed by President Clinton reflect this sentiment. Claims of Iran sponsoring groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon have stalled any form of productive talks since the cutting of diplomatic ties. Iran's ever growing influence over affairs in the region has left many in the west shaken, as control over the regions political stability is vital to many interests in both America and the business world.
This regime which has threatened stability in the region and has pitted Shia Muslims against Sunni Muslims since 1979 have been working for decades now on obtaining nuclear materials for what they claim are peaceful energy uses. While many citizens in the country believe it is their country's right as a sovereign state to utilize nuclear energy for domestic consumption, western nations have been weary of the Iranian government's intentions.
Iran's long time feud with Israel is one that has also been of much concern. Being that Iran is ruled by strict fundamentalist Islamists, their views towards the country have always been hostile, and it is feared that an attack on Israel by Iran could spark a war between the West and the Arab world. With rising frequency in both covert and overt operations being perpetrated by both Iran and Washington, it seems that an attack on Israel might not even be needed to start the next war. That is, if you don't already consider this a war.
The 1979 revolution in Iran which started off with the over throw of the Shah and ended with the takeover of the American Embassy where over 60 workers were held hostage for 444 days could be seen as the day war was declared. Through negotiations carried out by then President Ronald Reagan and the C.I.A., weapons and ammunition were funneled through terrorist groups in Nicaragua to the Islamists in Tehran to have the hostages released. To the American government this was a short term solution to what they knew was going to be a long term problem.
The problem? A hostile nation, with access to immense resources, centered in one of the most strategically important areas of the globe, was now attempting at the expense of international law, at obtaining and enriching uranium for nuclear purposes. This was a sore sight for C.I.A. officials and businessmen who enjoyed a comfortable relationship with Iran under the western backed Shah. For this, the Iranian regime was deemed to have no validity and was to be prevented in anyway from achieving their goal of becoming a nuclear power.
Sanctions imposed by President Clinton reflect this sentiment. Claims of Iran sponsoring groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon have stalled any form of productive talks since the cutting of diplomatic ties. Iran's ever growing influence over affairs in the region has left many in the west shaken, as control over the regions political stability is vital to many interests in both America and the business world.
This regime which has threatened stability in the region and has pitted Shia Muslims against Sunni Muslims since 1979 have been working for decades now on obtaining nuclear materials for what they claim are peaceful energy uses. While many citizens in the country believe it is their country's right as a sovereign state to utilize nuclear energy for domestic consumption, western nations have been weary of the Iranian government's intentions.
Iran's long time feud with Israel is one that has also been of much concern. Being that Iran is ruled by strict fundamentalist Islamists, their views towards the country have always been hostile, and it is feared that an attack on Israel by Iran could spark a war between the West and the Arab world. With rising frequency in both covert and overt operations being perpetrated by both Iran and Washington, it seems that an attack on Israel might not even be needed to start the next war. That is, if you don't already consider this a war.
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