IRAN - THE NEW SOVIET UNION ? - THE SUNDAY COMMENTARY

Iran is steadily and consistently appearing in the news as the rhetoric appears to be escalating sparking thought by many of pending military action especially in the light of Iran's continued defiance concerning its nuclear program. There have been many comparisons to Iran and pre WWII Germany both in their actions and in the anti-Semite and aggressive talk of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. There are obvious reasons for these comparisons for instance the similarities between what he is saying and the position of Adolph Hitler toward Jews especially in his book Mein Kampf. Additionally there is a similar world appeasement toward Iran especially in European countries who derive much financial benefit from the Iranian regime so they are willing to turn a blind eye to the danger as they did in the 1930's.

Though all of the German/Iranian comparison are warranted, the correlation between what is taking place in Iran and its expansionist ideals point more toward similarities with the Soviet Union. The world reaction to Iran though like that of pre WWII Germany is more in line with the forty years of the Cold War and there are many lessons from that period that if applied toward Iran could help in solving the Iranian problem. There are also some striking differences between the Soviets and Iran that in some ways actually makes Iran a far more dangerous threat than the USSR was during the Cold War.

The Similarities - Beginning with the final months of WWII and the post war years the Soviet Union made it very clear in both their words and actions that Communist expansion under the USSR was a primary goal and nothing and no one was going to get in their way to achieve this goal. With an eventual world wide Communist sphere of influence all aligned and puppets of the USSR. In a similar way Iran is expressing its desire for world domination through Islam and the fanatical out reach of the radical factions of this religion of which Iran is the primary state who is sponsoring, training and supplying terrorists and the organizations that they claim along with those Iran directly controls like Hezbollah. They are even now making move to begin that domination by their leadership and supplying of the Iraqi insurgency.

Wherever possible the Soviet Union supported and supplied any Communist regime with advisers and weaponry especially when that regime was in direct confrontation with The United States. Though China was the major Communist force assisting North Korea during the Korean War, Soviet advisers and weaponry were known and found to be assisting the regime. In Vietnam the Soviet presence was extremely strong with the Vietcong along with every type of weaponry. Iran is proving that they are taking a page from the Soviet playbook in Iraq as Iranian advisers, soldiers and especially weaponry is being found almost daily. There are direct links to Iran with the insurgents even to the point that Shiite radical al Sadr has fled to Iran to avoid the increase in US presence and the crack down that is accompanying it. Additionally in last Summers conflict with Israel, Iranian troops were found embedded with Hezbollah fighters and Iranian weaponry was used daily against Israel.The nuclear ambitions of Iran are an obvious similarity to the Soviet Union. Though Iran is not comparable at this point to the shear numbers and might of the USSR nuclear arsenal at its height, Iran none the less has a similar goal of using the nuclear threat as a means to force its plans of domination on the world and appease diplomats into continual negotiation all the while allowing the time and the means to build an arsenal and advance their plan.

A final similarity which is of major concern is the seemingly general fear and concern over any type of confrontation whether in word or action with Iran. For the majority of the forty years of the Cold War the general reaction to the Soviets from political leaders and the press alike was not to push any issue, be very careful of what is said and above all always walk the thin line of appeasement and diplomacy never from a position of strength but always from complacency and acceptance of the Soviet evil. Iran is becoming a situation where most fear standing up to them , fear speaking against them and becoming complacent to the possible existence of a nuclear Iran thus allowing Iran to build, move and begin its advance toward Middle East domination which is in their idea the beginning of a world dominated by fanatical Islam.

The Difference - The obvious differences are of course culture, and the fact that Iran is not a Communist state but an Islamic state. Both of these are what poses the greatest danger and difference with Iran as compared to the Soviet Union. The Soviets though dangerous did not have a wish to die. Though they pushed Communist expansion into other nations they did not seek to convert them to a religion. They did force a political ideal upon each country that fell under their influence but not a fanatical religious society. Iran's primary danger is that their political philosophy is based on and ruled by a fanatical religious belief that has at it base martyrdom and the desired result of converting the world to their belief or that world must die. The Soviets desire to live allowed MAD, (Mutually Assured Destruction), to keep their militaristic tendencies in check. An Islamic fanatical Iranian regime dominating the Middle East will have no such desire which will create an empire of destruction and terrorism that the world has never seen before.Twice in the forty years of the Cold War someone stood strong and fast against the Soviet Union and both times the USSR backed down. The first was in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crises when Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev introduced nuclear missiles into Cuba giving Castro and the Soviets a first strike capability only 90 miles from The United States. President Kennedy steadfastly stood against this and over the course of thirteen days his stance forced the Soviets to back down and remove the missiles. The second stance came with Ronald Reagan who called a spade a spade in referring to the Soviet's as , "the evil empire." His stance and action against the Soviets lead directly to their collapse and the end of Communist expansion in the world.

Now is the time while Iran is still a somewhat small player to stand against the fanatical Islamic domination and preventing a rogue nuclear state. Continual appeasement because of fear of offending and angering Iran will accomplish nothing. President Reagan brought about the Cold War victory without firing a shot by use of the power and strength both militarily and economically of The United States. We have an opportunity to do the same now with Iran. They cannot match us militarily nor do they have the economic might that we do. We can surround this rogue state without firing a shot and prove to them that they will not be allowed to expand or threaten a neighbor. Economically we have the capability of closing markets to this country and stopping any trade. There are rumblings in Iran of dissatisfaction with the regime and especially with the defiance over the nuclear situation. This is to our advantage and a strong united stance from a position of strength can allow the collapse of the fanatical Islamic regime from within. Now is the time and much delay could be to late!

Ken Taylor