Another option: moving from Iraq into Iran

Submitted by M.Cizin (Argentina), Oct 27, 2006 at 13:42

The main objective of the invasion of Iraq was achieved almost immediately, namely removing Saddam from power. The remaining issue stopping the US from leaving Iraq is the potential Iranian (ideological and/or military) invasion of Iraq once the US departs, and thus the unimaginable danger of an Iranian-dominated Middle East. Furthermore, since President G.W. Bush has included Iran in his 'axis of evil' plan of action, along with Syria, it seems to me a very logical and natural next step that the US troops should redeploy not to the deserts of Iraq, but rather to the territory of Iran and then Syria.

Using the firepower and presence already deployed in Baghdad, the US should go ahead and move the troops to the neighbouring country and quickly remove the Iranian president as if it was the next Saddam. While Saddam was known for massacres of his own people, I hope that Iran's president will not be known for his own massacres and is removed from power BEFORE any major damage is done as Iran readies their nukes to attack first Israel and then the US and the free world, not necessarily in that order.

The US army should be used to attack, achieve the mission and move out. It should be used as a formidable deterrent due to its destruction power capabilities, and not as an occouping force to bring democracy to a place that does not want it or cannot adopt it due to culture, history or religion issues which fuels resentment and terrorism. The US can invest the same or a similar amount of money used today to pay for occupying troops, to foster commerce and trade instead. In this manner, like a new Middle-East Marshall plan, the US can give the people (in Iraq, Iran) a way to purchase goods and services, mostly provided by US companies anyway, so that extreme Islam organizations do not provide for and are able to enroll new terrorists to their causes.

This seems to me the next logical step for the US in order to 'stay the course but change it.' Just shift to new territories, and not the mission. President Bush should not forget that the main mission, the target of the military action, is to unbalance the entire 'axis of evil', and not moving to the next natural step of his plan means that nothing significant will be achieved regionally in spite of the good intentions of this initial Iraq move.

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