Friedman’s Feel-Good Next War, Folly of Repeating History…………
“Washington’s new “group think” on Iran – that the only possible approach is a heightened confrontation followed by “regime change” – is being shaped by the same opinion leaders who charted the way into the bloody disaster in Iraq and paid no career price. On Wednesday, New York Times’ columnist Thomas L. Friedman rejoined the gang of tough-guy pundits by roughing up the leaders of Brazil and Turkey for daring to negotiate an agreement with Iran that would have it ship about half its low-enriched uranium out of the country and thus spur hopes for a peaceful settlement. To Friedman, this deal was “as ugly as it gets,” the title of his column. However, others might think that seven-plus years of carnage in Iraq – the hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis, children with limbs blown off, and the 4,400 dead American soldiers and their grieving families – might be uglier…..”
Ah, Friedman, the feel-good establishment columnist. Last year, right after the Lebanese elections he wrote about how the moderate good guys had won, neglecting to mention that Hezbollah and her allies won 55% of the popular vote. Now Hezbollah is stronger than before that election, stronger than ever in Lebanon and the region. So much for Middle East expertise (or Arab expertise).
I am beginning to suspect Friedman is listening to some Arab neocon, neo-Wahhabi line, which is also the Likud line. In fact the column in question was promptly translated into Arabis and published in Saudi media (Asharq Alawsat). Maybe they hope he still has the clout to push the Obama administration toward a harder line on Iran. “Regime change”: that was the Clinton line on Saddam in the 1990s, which opened the door for the Bush-Blair invasion of Iraq. Fools do try to repeat history.
Cheers
mhg
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