By Dan Lenard
Buffalo, NY – Chalk one up for the Iranian theocratic regime. The Western media's and the community of nations reaction to a recent statement by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been exactly what the Iranians wanted.
He says: "Wipe Israel off the map!" The response? It's an outrage! Condemnation came from almost every non-Muslim country in the world, including the French, who have come to finally realize this past week, the threat radical Islam poses to their country. Even Islam's biggest apologist, Koffe Anan, denounced this statement. If you haven't noticed, the Iranians haven't changed course in their attitude about the Middle East's only democracy. If you take this rhetoric seriously, you simply do not get its intentions. The Mad Mullahs of Teheran have about as much ability to destroy Israel as Lichtenstein does. They sent a million of their citizens to paradise between 1980 and 1990 in the Iran/ Iraq war and gained nothing. We took on Saadam twice and relinquished his forces in less than three weeks. What about Iran's nuclear intentions? I genuinely fear Iranian nuclear technology falling into the hands of Al queda. However, would Tehran take out its prized Jerusalem, along with their fellow Muslims, the Arabs of Judea, Samaria and Gaza? Would they leave the land the Muslims want so badly as a nuclear wasteland knowing full well the response would leave the Iranian capital a pile of glowing ashes? I suppose anything is possible when you're dealing with people who's value system seems quite out of sync with the rest of the civilized world.
Let's look outside the box of what Mahmoud's deliberately diplomatically incorrect statement really means.
Perhaps you recall one of my commentaries earlier this year on Natan Sharansky's magnificent book "The Case for Democracy." You'll remember that one of the most important tenets of a totalitarian regime is the creation of a false, outside enemy. In Iran's case they have the traditional scapegoats of all the worlds self-imposed ills, the Jews and their "Zionist Entity." In fact, this boisterous statement was made at a contrived conference in Tehran entitled "The World Without Zionism."
President Ahmadinejad also lashed out with this hyperbole to divert attention. From what I see, the Iranian government continues to face growing domestic opposition and disillusion with the "revolution" by its younger populace. What possible threat does Israel pose to Iran? Oh right, Democracy! Can't have that.
Iran is also playing North Korean dictator Kim Jong Ill's game. Kim Jong Ill has twice, successfully manipulated the world into giving North Korea what it needs in exchange for merely talking about its nuclear program. Food and nuclear technology. Right now, the world is focused on hurricanes, earthquakes and a struggle for democracy just across Iran's border. Iran also wants center stage. So the Iranian president is essentially killing two birds with one stone. Thirdly, he presents himself as being in the mainline of Islam, which thrives on the myth of the Jews taking over the world. Actually, it's the Radical Islamist who want world domination.
While many cower at this rhetoric and use it to propel verbal attacks back at Teheran, I think it needs to be treated like you treat the bully in the playground. Ignore him and not give him what he wants. US policy is doing just that, instead of calling the Iranians names, we continue to put enormous pressure on them on them from their Eastern and Western borders. What I hear is desperation. The Iranian theocracy will eventually fall because of our pressure and due to its repressive nature. That will be a crushing defeat of our enemies in the war against Radical Islam. Chalk one up for our side!
"Looking Outside the Box" with veteran broadcaster and professional narrator Dan Lenard is a monthly feature of WBFO News.