Iran vs United States
With the signing of a
nuclear agreement
between Iran and the five permanent members of the
United Nations Security Council plus Germany (P5+1),
there is talk of Iran's support for people and groups
the United States does not like, for example
Bashar al-Assad in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
How do Iran's actions compare with those of the United States:
-
overthrow of the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran
in 1953 and support for the Shah
-
support for Iraq and its use of chemical weapons in war against Iran
in the 1980's
-
support for terrorist groups inside Iran
to kill their nuclear scientists
-
infecting with destructive software Iran's computers
that were being used in their nuclear efforts
(in support of or with Israel)
-
flying drones over Iran (they shot one down)
Which country has more reasons to distrust the other?
And why is Saudi Arabia considered a better ally than Iran?
-
Saudi Arabia is a monarchy and Iran is a democracy
(albeit one we may not like)
-
Saudi Arabia has had
85 beheadings
so far this year.
All I can find for Iran is one beheading in 2003.
-
Saudi Arabia has given free reign to the conservative
Islam movement Wahhabism and this has led to ISIL.
Now they may be having second thoughts about
it's alliance with conservative clerics, but it may be too late.
-
Fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers
were citizens of Saudi Arabia.
Can you imagine what people would be saying if they were from Iran?
Why during the endless interviews with those discussing the pros and cons
of the Iranian nuclear deal are these issues not mentioned every time?
I would like the opportunity to do so.
And finally this odd fact from
The Economist:
Iran is not as unfamiliar with the West as it may seem.
Mr Rouhani's cabinet boasts more American doctorates than Mr Obama's.