Even if you selectively read the NIE summary and wrongly conclude that the NIE confirms that Iran is not currently pursuing nuclear weapons, I don't understand how anybody can think that Iran is nothing to worry about. As I've noted, Iran is a threat to us whether they have nuclear weapons or just boxcutters. Their hatred and eagerness to kill is what makes them a threat.
Secretary Gates reminds us of the threat Iran poses:
"Everywhere you turn, it is the policy of Iran to foment instability and chaos, no matter the strategic value or cost in the blood of innocents — Christians, Jews and Muslims alike," Gates said in a keynote address at an international security conference.
"There can be little doubt that their destabilizing foreign policies are a threat to the interests of the United States, to the interests of every country in the Middle East, and to the interests of all countries within the range of the ballistic missiles Iran is developing," he continued.
And in a sarcastic riff, he goaded Iran to acknowledge its bad behavior — from arming terrorists in Iraq to its support for militant organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas.
But he also noted that our allies and friends should have no doubt as to the ultimate outcome of Iran's challenge:
Gates ended his speech with a grim warning against underestimating the United States.
Some countries, he said, "may believe our resolve has been corroded by the challenges we face at home and abroad. This would be a grave misconception."
Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, Fascist Italy and the former Soviet Union all made that miscalculation, Gates said. "All paid the price. All are on the ash heap of history."
I'd have added Imperial Germany to that list to extend the example back twenty more years.
We will crush Iran's mullahcracy in the end. The only question is the price that will be paid to end their delusions of grandeur.
