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Off-Axis

In the early hours of Friday, 26DEC03, a massive earthquake rumbled through Iran. Now, I for one firmly believe that there are a lot of people in Iran in need a good rattling. But a 6.5 trembler through a city built mainly out of stone and mud might be a little excessive. While the news has recently brought us the stories of survivors miraculously pulled from the rubble, the number of dead continues to rise. In the face of this suffering, nations around the globe have offered their assistance. The US is one of those nations, their offer accepted. At the time of this writing nearly 150,000 tons of medical supplies and over 200 relief workers have touched down amidst the rubble. The effort is not one calculated for political gain, but rather the endeavor has been undertaken in a true showing of humanity. The devastation in Iran, however, serves as a cruel exclamation point to a sentence that has been written over decades.

Relations between the United States and Iran have been colder than Hillary’s side of the bed since 1979, when the US supported Shah was overthrown and American hostages were taken and held for 444 days. The Ass-a-hole-a, I mean Ayatollah, Khomeini supported and participated actively in the suppression and elimination of dissidents, the capture and torture of hostages, and the support of Hizbollah and international terror. OK, you caught me – I really did mean Ass-a-hole-a. Iran also had caught the eye of the Soviet Union, and the US feared that a Soviet advance on American forces would include a strike into the Persian Gulf through Iran.

When the Khomeini died at the end of the 80’s, Hussein inherited his role of public shitheel #1. His public persona grew alongside his ego, and he became the John Gotti of the Gulf. And just like the Dapper Don, his notoriety became his downfall, drawing so much attention to himself that we were compelled to action. There can be no denying that the world is a better place with Saddam Hussein deposed and incarcerated. Unless, of course, you’re Howard Dean.

When President Bush spoke before the World prior to advancing into Iraq, he cited several reasons for the action. Hussein’s failure to comply with repeated UN sanctions and threats of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons were critical. But President Bush also spoke of Hussein’s ability to threaten his neighbors and of an “era of new hope” in both Iraq and the Middle East. The capture of Saddam Hussein and the liberation of the Iraqi people are critical first steps in the process to this end. However, these steps have covered much more ground than President Bush could have anticipated. It’s obvious that the recent concessions made by Libya’s Mummar Qadhafi were finalized after the former Iraqi leader slid from his hole. And Syria, too, is hinting at the elimination of nuclear weapons in the Middle East.

While the recent earthquakes in Iran are indeed tragic, they provide us with an opportunity that could not have come at a better time for the Middle East. It’s time that the US amends relations and re-establish diplomatic ties with Iran. As the post-Saddam Hussein Middle East continues to evolve, we must make sure that we align ourselves into a position from which to develop alongside. The development of a symbiotic US-Iran covenant does not necessitate that fundamental Islamic beliefs be sacrificed, nor does one indicate the United States’ position against international terrorism has been diminished. Rather, it would be the next step taken in the effort to usher in the “era of new hope” envisioned for a region that has seen too many centuries of warfare. As the United States continues to place itself atop the very short list of superpower nations, strong economic and political ties to the major nations in the Middle East will ensure that this is where it remains.

The President spoke precipitously when he called Iran a member of the “Axis of Evil”. By singling out Iran in such a way more harm than good was accomplished. Do terrorists make their home inside Iran? Undoubtedly, but terrorists lurk within our own borders as well, and not all of them are foreign. What we need now is a unified front, composed of multiple nations holding multiple beliefs. As the world community bands together to root out terror wherever it grows, Iran should be a welcome partner. Strong diplomatic ties and a sense if international kinship may allow us the latitude for entering Iran and assisting their government in eliminating terrorist networks. By letting Iran play in the International big leagues we give their government the legitimacy to allow us to do so. And the broadening of our economic landscapes would provide both of our nations with valuable resources: American dollars into the Iranian economy and Iranian oil into American refineries. Our respective nations and cultures are not mutually exclusive. No one claims that it will be easy or without setbacks, but by working together, we as nations can continue to drive a stake into the heart of terror.

Michael Farmer / TheTanker.Com E-Mail readermail@TheTanker.Com

"HEADSHOT" Featuring John Bertetto