Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Japan: Join Us, America Will be Gone (and Israeli Official Warns Iran)

I'll give Iran's President Ahmadinejad credit: he seems to have a good understanding of how important alliances are.

Peace-Loving, Forward-Looking Iran?

Ahmadinejad was in Rome this week, at an international summit. He said that "as two civilized and influential states, Iran and Japan should get prepared for a world without the US.
(Ahmadinejad quotes from "President: Iran, Japan should be prepared for a world without US" IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency) (June 4, 2008))

I've put key words and phrases in bold

" 'The US domination is on the fall. Iran and Japan as two civilized and influential nations should get ready for a world minus the US,' President Ahmadinejad told Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on the sidelines of the UN food summit on Tuesday.

Ahmadinejad wants long-term cooperation between Iran and Japan - a reasonable idea - and said that Iran has always promoted peace and stability in the region and the world - a debatable idea.

The state news agency said "that Iran's progress is not against any country and expansion of friendly relations with all countries based on mutual respect is the absolute policy of the country...."

It gets better. IRNA paraphrases Iran's president's remarks: "Iran has a humanitarian solution and proposal even for the world's only forged regime, i.e. the Zionist Regime: Holding a referendum with participation of all Palestinians." I hope Iran's "humanitarian solution" doesn't wind up being as messy as the German National Socialists' "final solution."

Ahmadinejad: Remember Hiroshima, Join Us

President Ahmadinejad also understands how history and culture can influence decisions. IRNA quotes him, again speaking to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda: " 'Iran and Japan should launch coordinated measures and actions against the countries that use nuclear technology for non-peaceful and military purposes. And as victims of Weapons of Mass Destruction, they (Iran and Japan) should form a front to proceed the cause for nuclear disarmament.' ..."

Nobody, in Japan, or America, or anywhere else, is likely to forget that nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What is often forgotten is what the alternatives were.

The de facto leaders of Imperial Japan did not treat citizens of other countries - or their own subjects - well, although some alternatively-accurate textbooks and WWII Japanese veterans whose feeling were hurt disagree.

As I wrote a few months ago: "What happened to those two cities was terrible. But the policies of the Empire of Japan could not be tolerated - and ending the war by a conventional invasion would have involved massive losses on both sides, along with much more widespread destruction than the obliteration of two cities."

I'm one of the people who is alive because my father survived WWII. I'm pretty sure that there are many people in Japan, and America, who wouldn't be here if their parents or grandparents had been non-survivors of a desperate last stand in Tokyo, or Okinawa, or some small village in Japan.

Alternatives: Wishful, Appalling, and Unpleasant

I have trouble forgetting that Iran's current government helped popularize "Death to Israel! Death to the great Satan America!" And, that there's little-to-no evidence that Iran has reversed its position that Israel should be obliterated.

I don't think that the Ayatollahs are any friendlier toward America, or any other place where people don't follow Islam - their way.

I also don't think that Iran is pursuing a strictly peaceful nuclear program. Given their stated objectives, Iran's government could use nuclear weapons, to make their long-range missiles more effective. And, there's very good reason to think that Iran has a nuclear weapons program, and is all too likely to start a nuclear war.

Eventually, the IAEA, talks, and talks about talks, might defuse the problem that a nuclear Iran presents. I think it's more likely that Iran would add a few cities to the dreadful duo of Hiroshima and Nagasaki first.

Israel may solve the problem for all of us, before either of those alternatives plays out. "An Israeli daily says Cabinet Minister Shaul Mofaz has said Israel should attack Iran if it continues with its nuclear program.

"The Yediot Ahronot newspaper has quoted Mofaz as saying 'If Iran will continue with its plan to develop nuclear weapons, we will attack it.' "
("Minister: Israel will attack Iran if it doesn't abandon nuclear program International Herald Tribune (June 6, 2008))

And, from another article in the same paper:

"... 'If Iran continues with its programme for developing nuclear weapons, we will attack it. The sanctions are ineffective,' Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz told the mass-circulation Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper...."
(" Israeli official says Iran attack 'unavoidable' " (June 6, 2008))

You'll notice, once you get past the headlines, that the "Israel will attack Iran" is conditional: that the official who made the threat said "If Iran continues with its programme...." [emphasis mine]

Still, it's a clear threat. And, I think, a serious one. Israel derailed Saddam Hussein's nuclear program, in 1981, and destroyed a Syrian reactor (or something else, if you believe some of Syria's versions) last year. Faced with another real and present threat, I don't think Israel's leaders will wait to see how many of their citizens are killed in the first wave of a nuclear war.

In the News (official and otherwise):

• "President: Iran, Japan should be prepared for a world without US"
  IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency) (June 4, 2008)
  • " 'The US domination is on the fall. Iran and Japan as two civilized and influential nations should get ready for a world minus the US,' President Ahmadinejad told Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on the sidelines of the UN food summit on Tuesday.
  • "President Ahmadinejad also called for long-term cooperation between Iran and Japan.
  • " 'Enemies do not wish Iran and Japan to find their historical and true status. The time has come for both countries to draw up the horizon for their long-term cooperation,' Ahmadinejad noted.
  • "He said that based on historical evidence, Iran has always been the promoter of peace and stability in the region and the world.
  • " 'No body or power can wipe Iran off the world scene and Iranian nation of course can well manage its affairs under such an atmosphere,' he said.
  • "He went on to say that Iran's progress is not against any country and expansion of friendly relations with all countries based on mutual respect is the absolute policy of the country...."
  • Iran's state news agency goes on to say that Iran wants a nuclear consortium, and that "Iran has a humanitarian solution and proposal even for the world's only forged regime, i.e. the Zionist Regime: Holding a referendum with participation of all Palestinians.
  • "He stressed that Iran and Japan can not accept extra demands.
  • " 'Iran and Japan should launch coordinated measures and actions against the countries that use nuclear technology for non-peaceful and military purposes. And as victims of Weapons of Mass Destruction, they (Iran and Japan) should form a front to proceed the cause for nuclear disarmament.' ...
  • "...Fukuda for his part hoped for all-out expansion of Iran-Japan ties and said the two countries' officials will in the future have meetings in each other's capitals.
  • "He also thanked Iran for securing release of Japanese hostages.
  • "He went on to say that Tokyo believes Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful and civilian. 'Iran is entitled to peaceful use of nuclear technology for energy generation. It should however find other means for optimal energy consumption and Japan is ready to help Iran in that respect.'..."
• " Israeli official says Iran attack 'unavoidable' "
  International Herald Tribune (June 6, 2008)
  • "An Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites looks "unavoidable" given the apparent failure of sanctions to deny Tehran technology with bomb-making potential, one of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's deputies said on Friday.
  • " 'If Iran continues with its programme for developing nuclear weapons, we will attack it. The sanctions are ineffective,' Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz told the mass-circulation Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
  • " 'Attacking Iran, in order to stop its nuclear plans, will be unavoidable,' said the former army chief who has also been defence minister.
  • "It was the most explicit threat yet against Iran from a member of Olmert's government, which, like the Bush administration, has preferred to hint at force as a last resort should U.N. Security Council sanctions be deemed a dead end."
• " Minister: Israel will attack Iran if it doesn't abandon nuclear program"
  International Herald Tribune (June 6, 2008)
  • "Israel will attack Iran if it doesn't abandon its nuclear program, a Cabinet minister hoping to replace embattled Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was quoted Friday as saying.
  • "Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz also said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "will disappear before Israel does," the Yediot Ahronot daily reported. Ahmadinejad has called repeatedly for Israel's destruction."

I've mentioned alliances and lessons from the past before:

• "Holocaust Remembrance Day: May 1, 2008"
  (April 30, 2008)
• "The War on Terror? This May be The War For Freedom"
  (March 18, 2008)
• "Unintended Consequences? The West May be Getting Over Hiroshima"
  (January 25, 2008)
• "EEEK! Guns! Hoplophobia and Foreign Policy"
  (December 23, 2007)
• "Things Take Time: World War II Timeline"
  (October 21, 2007)
• "Iran and Russia and Germany and Japan"
  (October 19, 2007)