Israel, Iran, and ‘pre-emptive strikes'

February 16, 2012 at 11:47am

Following up on my column this week on Iran: Do read Fareed Zakaria's Washington Post column today, "How History Lessons Could Deter Iranian Aggression."

Zakaria delves into something I didn't touch on - and that I'm wrestling with: what if the Israelis do need to attack Iran now if there's any hope of keeping Iran from getting nuclear weapons? Must we live with a nuclear-armed Iran?

Zakaria suggests that we may have to do just that - that an Iran with nuclear weapons is no more likely to use them than did the other nations we've been terrified about in the past. And the alternative, he says - preemptive war - is a far greater danger.

The lesson of history, he says, is that preemption "almost always" leads to disaster.

Zakaria is one of several knowledgeable commentators voicing this concern. His stand will be controversial, but it's critically important. We'd all better start talking about this - before Israel and the Obama administration act.

Comments for "Israel, Iran, and ‘pre-emptive strikes'" (0)

City Newspaper is not responsible for the content of these reviews. City Newspaper reserves the right to remove reviews at their discretion.

No comments have been posted. Be the first and add one below.

Respond on Your Blog

If you have a City Account you can not only post comments, but you can also respond to articles in your own City Blog. It's just another way to make your voice heard.