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Thursday, February 08, 2007

Not the Great Satan Anymore

It is common for opponents of confronting Iran over its nuclear program to argue that any American pressure on Iran--any pressure at all--will just force Iranians to rally to the government.

Our recent declaration that we will build up our forces in the region with an eye toward Iran should have led to that rally-around-the-flag effect. Indeed, the Iranian leadership is threatening us should we attack them.

So I take great pleasure in linking to this:

But many in Iran say they fear attack. Iranian media and Web sites have almost daily commentaries on a possible U.S. attack — some of them blaming hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the deterioration in the already sour U.S.-Iranian relations by his provocative rhetoric against America and Israel.

How is it possible that Iranians unhappy with their government are failing to fall in line with the mullah goveernment? I mean, here in America even Nancy Pelosi has embraced the Bush administration in a stirring display of solidarity in the face of jihadi threats.

Oh wait. Speaker Pelosi is still trying to retreat. And Iranians who oppose the mullahs haven't suddenly discovered that they love the mullahs even though we increase pressure on the mullahs.

You know, sometimes people view foreign support as an asset to defeat domestic enemies rather than a threat that compels them to unite with hated domestic enemies. So far the American and Iranian experience verifies this observation.