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US Policy on Iran: Deterrence versus Pre-Emption

Posted by Joerg Wolf on

Fareed Zakaria and Norman Podhoretz debate on PBS whether Iran would be a rational nuclear power and what US policy should be: Deterrence or pre-emption? Zakaria is concerned about yet another US invasion of Muslim country, and made this interesting quote on deterrence:

It used to be that one had to explain deterrence to the Left; it has now become something the Right does not understand.

The transcript is available at The Australian and a video is posted below and available at Youtube. HT: Jeb Koogler, who also writes in Foreign Policy Watch that deterrence is not enough.

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Chirol on :

Norman Podhoretz is a nutjob. It appalls me that someone who throws weak Hitler comparisons around is even allowed on television.

Joerg on :

Yeah, and Scholl-Latour should not be as much on German TV either. Perhaps TV folks think that age and wisdom always go together. Re Podhoretz: Is he still meeting with Bush in the White House?

Paul13 on :

"If a day comes when the world of Islam is duly equipped with the arms Israel has in possession, the strategy of colonialism would face a stalemate because application of an atomic bomb would not leave any thing in Israel but the same thing would just produce damages in the Muslim world" Does anybody really think it is possible to deter a lunatic regime which produces statements like the one above? And I'm not talking about Ahmadinejad. These are the moderates.

Reid of America on :

Unmentioned in the discussion is that Israel is on record stating they will not let Iran attain nuclear weapons capability. Does anyone believe Israel is bluffing? If Bush doesn't act Israel will. The world should hope that Bush acts before Israel does since Israel has to resort to nuclear tipped bunker busters to get the job done. The US has the luxury of using conventional weapons to take out the Iranian nuke program. The real choice is very simple but unacknowledged. Choice A - The US destroys the Iranian nuke program using conventional weapons. Choice B - Israel destroys the Iranian nuke program using nuclear weapons.

pen Name on :

Reid of America: Choice A: You do not have that power. Choice B: That would be last act of the State of Israel.

joe on :

pen name you cannot be serious....

Reid of America on :

Podhoretz responds to claims that he is misrepresenting the policies of the Iranian government. It is an important read for those that believe Iran can be contained through mutually assured destruction. http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/podhoretz/1340#more-1340

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