[New Republic] Editorial - Even in the Arab world, it is obvious that what we are witnessing along the southern border of Lebanon is Iranian foreign policy. Without Iranian weapons and Iranian direction, Hizballah's swagger would be hollow, and the Lebanese government might stand a chance of bringing Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah's fevered thugs under control. Iran has now emerged as a regional power. Not even Khomeini did what Ahmadinejad has done. Iran is now the single most powerful force arrayed against American ideals and interests in the Middle East. If we do not isolate Iran regionally and globally, if we do not do everything we can to support the democratizing forces in Iran, and of course if we do not move ruthlessly to prevent Iran from acquiring the deadliest arsenal of all, then we will have presided over the creation of a nightmare worse than the nightmare of Saddam Hussein. For the time being, then, the surest way to defeat Tehran is to defeat Hizballah.
2006-07-21 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive