Iran: a potential threat to Israel?

Since foreign journalists were not allowed to cover the presidential elections in Iran in June this year and were booted out, I’ve decided it might be a good idea to have some revenge. Let us tell all about Iran. No, that would be unethical. But one way a journalist can get a point across about Iran is to blog about it. We are after all “outlawed” from the Iranian land.

So, Iran launches two missiles on Monday, just before Iran meets with the representatives of the UN Security Council to negotiate on Iran’s uranium enrichment plants, which seem to be increasing. They recently disclosed a site which the USA did not have a clue existed. So the USA does not always know everything, even if they look like they do,

But the story about enrichment plants is not half as interesting as the range which the recently tested missiles have. They can drop plumb into the middle of Israel, with nuclear warheads attached to them, and spread radiation, and kill people. Scary huh? And with the way Iran has been enriching uranium for “energy” and “security reasons” one could think, “Hmmm…dodgy.” Iran has always shown its distaste for Israel and Israel has also conveyed its dislike. There is even a link on The Jerusalem Post website that is named the Iranian Threat. Shhh! You hear that? Another war might be brewing in the Middle East.

Brigadier General Hossein Salami, head of the Revolutionary Guard Air Force said that the test was to show that Iran is prepared against all threats. Talk about being insecure. Pardon me kind sir, I would enquire, why are you feeling threatened? He might perhaps say something about security. He is in any case a military man. Security? (groan). That is a complex word with complex implications.

Security is one of the main reasons why nations engage in arms races. Consider the popular Arms Race of the post-Second World War period, between the USSR and the USA. Both countries felt threatened by each other, so when one country acquired a new weapon, the other would endeavour to create a better one so as not to feel intimidated. Such immaturity! Such behaviour would be expected from 5- year olds, not world powers. But the military build-up happened, and they ended up sending man and machine to the moon….the moon? Humans can’t even survive up there.

What will happen? We have two countries that are hostile to each other. One has one of the strongest armies in the world; the other tested missiles on Monday. What assurances does the rabbi have that one day he won’t be walking on temple debris? What assurance does the cleric have that one day an Israeli-Iran Six- Day War will not occur, and Iran will be conquered in six days? It is clear that Iran wants to rear its head, show itself to be the bull and possibly scare the kibbutzim out of Israel, but the road they have chosen is a narrow one, and there be few countries that are on it. Not many countries would dare to test missiles in America’s face. It might get too dangerous for Iran and for Israel.

Another situation shows the fragility of peace and the insecurity about being secure.

Warning: insecurity about the military strength of another state can be hazardous to peace.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/09/28/iran.missile.tests/index.html#cnnSTCText

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/09/28/iran.missile.tests/index.html#cnnSTCOther1