Unsolicited Advice to the Government of Iran

Presuming that you are not actually ignorant enough to desire war with the United States, you might be well advised to read the history of the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine in Havana harbor in 1898 and the history of the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964.

Having done so, you will surely recognize that Americans are reluctant to go to war unless attacked. Until Pearl Harbor, we were even reluctant to get involved in World War II. For historians of American wars the question is whether we provoke provocations.

Given the unilateral U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, you are obviously thinking the rules have changed. Provocation is no longer required to take America to war. But even in this instance, we were led to believe that the mass murderer of American civilians, Osama bin Laden, was lurking, literally or figuratively, in the vicinity of Baghdad.

Given all this, you would probably be well advised to keep your forces, including clandestine forces, as far away from the Iraqi border as you can. You might even consider bringing in some neighbors to verify that you are not shipping arms next door. Tone down the rhetoric on Zionism. You've established your credentials with those in your world who thrive on that.

If it makes you feel powerful to hurl accusations at the American eagle, have at it. Sticks and stones, etc. But, for the next sixteen months or so, you should not only not take provocative actions, you should not seem to be doing so.

For the vast majority of Americans who seek no wider war, in the Middle East or elsewhere, don't tempt fate. Don't give a certain vice president we know the justification he is seeking to attack your country. That is unless you happen to like having bombs fall on your head.

Comments

[CitizenAdvisor]

In Vietnam it was impossible for the U.S. to win the war because the Chinese kept sending in supplies and reinforcments. In Afghanistan, it was impossible for the USSR to win because the U.S. kept sending in supplies and reinforcements.

Should the U.S. attack Iran, who will start sending supplies and reinforcements to them? Can we even begin to imagine that no one will?

In short, long-term citizen resistance must be considered implacable, unless one is committed to a *world* war. We were assured that Iraq would treat us as liberators and heroes. One more impeachable lie in a long litany--whether it stems from malice or incompetence, it makes no difference.

Finally, there is the salient fact that the only thing the Iraqi "government" can agree is that they're not in favor of the one solution that can actually work--a separation of the sort that Senator Biden recommended years ago when this disaster began.

In short they will not live together, and they will not live apart. And we're supposed to keep spending a billion dollars a day and allowing young American men and women to be killed over it? How can we *not* impeach the moron who got us into this?

[Jason357]

Real advice to Iran would be to hold nothing back. Don't make Hussein's mistake to think the US deals kindly with defeated enemies. If the US is so incredibly stupid to attack Iran, Iran has full moral authority to let it all rip...as would the Russians and China. Enough is enough.

[Jason357]

****Having done so, you will surely recognize that Americans are reluctant to go to war unless attacked.******
Huh?? The Vietnamese attacked the US, and the Koreans. Kosovo attacked the US and "deserved" being bombed? Iraq attacked the US?? Where did you get that, or are you one of those sorts who keeping saying Iraq did 911??

Your article completely ignores the constant meddling in others' foreign affairs by both Britain and the US over the past 100+ years. Or, is that how the game is played...provoke a reaction than call it an attack and start killing people for economic reasons?

[cadawa]

Senator Hart,
Your message would be better sent to the White House. They are the ones arming the Iraqis, operating on Iran's borders, creating dissent, and acting in a hostile and belligerent manner.
Iran, like Iraq is more victim than enemy.
As for Ahmedinejad's comments on Israel, they were deliberately mistranslated (see Juan Cole).
He wanted to see an end to the Zionist regime. What thinking person wouldn't. They are determined to provoke a nuclear catastrophe as is the Bush administration.
Words are not going to stop this gang of thugs. It's time for us to act.
An attack on Iran will dwarf the horror of Iraq.

[sculptor]

Gary, haven't you learned that the US has never really needed a true provocation? If the powers that be want to start a war and the people aren't dead set against it then somebody will manufacture an excuse.

[rollingdivision]

Iran is already at war. Revolutionary Guards, al Quds force is having a hard time in Iraq. With the collapse of al Qaeda in Iraq (because the Sunni Arabs turned on them), U.S. troops are now concentrating on Iranian supported groups. Coalition commando forces are specifically looking to capture as many al Quds operatives as they can. As a result of this, Iran has been pulling its al Quds people out of Iraq. Those that have been captured so far have given up embarrassing and damaging information.
In northern Iran, the war against the Kurds is not going well. Before 2003, Iran was supporting pro-al Qaeda Kurdish groups by providing sanctuary inside Iran, as well as weapons and supplies. These Islamic radicals took control of some villages inside Iraq, but were destroyed by Kurdish militiamen and American Special Forces. Then Kurdish separatists groups began sneaking into Iran and recruiting Iranian Kurds who were willing to fight. That problem has grown over the past four years, to the point that there are several thousand Revolutionary Guard troops, including artillery and some armored vehicles, operating along the Iraq border. The Iranian artillery fires shells at Kurdish villages in Iraq, and Revolutionary Guard patrols often cross the border. But the Iranians know they cannot get too aggressive. The Iranians also know that if they put too many people into Iraq, they will have to deal with American smart bombs. While some Revolutionary Guard commanders say otherwise, most Iranian military leaders don't want to fight U.S. troops, especially not in largely Kurdish areas along the Iraq border. Most of those Kurds would welcome an American invasion, and the Iranian generals don't want to invite one. Even with that restraint, the fighting over the last few months has left over 200 dead, and many more wounded.
Source Strategypage.com

[Euclid]

This is a flat out manufactured fabrication!

[IMRETIRED]

What Mr Hart advocates is similar to what GW and Cheney say. Threat is a threat. When a bully wants to pick a fight he will do so no matter what the other guy says or do. Even if Iran build a wall around itself the warmonger will come out with other excuses like spirit of Iranian Mullahs are flying over the wall and causing the death of troop. Mr. Hart I thought you had a better sense of reality.

[HBeachbum]

And don't get on a boat named "Monkey Business". Believe me, that's a career killer!

[JMorgan]

'A Coup Has Occurred'

By Daniel Ellsberg
September 26, 2007 (Text of a speech delivered September 20, 2007)

Daniel Ellsberg, the former Defense Department analyst who leaked the secret Pentagon Papers history of the Vietnam War, offered insights into the looming war with Iran and the loss of liberty in the United States at an American University symposium on Sept. 20.

[rwinkel]

Thus Hart openly proclaims his allegiance with the 9/11 traitors and support for the US govt's use of terror against its own population in pursuit of their "higher purpose".

This man might have been president. Thank god we got bushclinton instead!

[Mojane]

Statements like yours only serve to confirm Mike Gravel's observation that Americans are getting
"fatter and dumber." In all fairness to fellow Americans, we have become so immensely ignorant that we have actually elected the most dangerous administration in our history, twice! one that has put the world in a brinkish state. How refreshing it would be if the MSM would devote time to providing some history of the countries we have invaded and threaten to attack...the real reasons that we have. Just a bit of enlightment would be a welcome shift.

[JoAnnCr]

I don't think so.

He's talking reality.

We have a president who does not think the same thing as the American people. Until the power in the United States can be delivered to a more honest person who represents the people of the United States, every personal enemy of George W. Bush should be sensible. Period.

[daddysboy]

Speaking of rhetoric; a public advisement to back off isn't exactly toned down. Iran is going to be Iran and giving them ultimatums won't encourage their leaders to back off; the arrogance will only inflame their hatred of America. Let's try something America has rarely been good at; real honest diplomacy with concessions on both sides and true forward progress without having to eliminate foreign governments and replace them with puppet dictators.

[mudra12]

Presuming that you are not actually ignorant enough to study the actual historical facts regarding the Gulf of Tonkin.

So thanks to you we know our government sponsors terrorism, now you warn us that we better do what we are told or else.

Who sir do you really work for? And what propaganda machine gets greased when you talk?

Sorry I don't buy it.

[Karin]

I think this warning should be directed at the U.S. Congress, rather than the Iranians. They are the ones with the power to stop another war, if they could just locate their backbones. The examples (Gulf of Tonkin, sinking of the Maine) illustrate the point that however much the Iranians try to avoid provoking us, if Bush, Cheney, etc. want a war, they will invent or provoke an incident as an excuse.

[CaptainVideo]

The vote on the Kyl-Lieberman bill demonstrates that Congress will not have the backbone to keep the Bush Adminsitration from starting a war with Iran. On middle eastern policy Bush is definitely not a lame duck. He is getting everything he wants.
The Republicans are solidly supporting Bush. Even most of the ones who make noises about changing our Iraq policy, when push comes to shove, they vote to support Bush. And half of the Democrats in the Senate are spineless wimps, as the votes on Kyl-Lieberman and MoveOn have shown.

[dmack]

If Iran don't give us a reason to attack, then I KNOW this country and the powers that be will create one. Really, what did Saddam do to us? Nothing. So what did we do? Created a reason to attack Iraq. Weapons of Mass Destruction. I can't believe people still believe that was the reason for the attack.

[MancRat]

Neocon 'godfather' Norman Podhoretz tells Bush: bomb Iran

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2558296.ece

Read it and weep. The drums are getting louder and louder. Bush wants another war before November 08.

[unbeliever7]

Again and again the fools in this country prefer to focus upon their own little family, their own little life and their own little job and their own big bills and their own asshole bosses who are heaping upon them all the work possible without completely destroying them. And if they manage to "make it", i.e. hire other slaves to enrich themselves, then the cycle starts again. If someone like you folks on Huffpo mentions something scary, like maybe their leaders are lying assholes, they find a way to ignore it or to ridicule it or to otherwise hide from the truth, and they, of course, vote for the loudest, cockiest asshole they see on TV who will protect them from the, "Axis of Evil", etc., etc., not knowing any better, because they have kept their heads up their asses and associate with and listen to or watch those reinforcers of their own beliefs and they are very easily fooled.