Syria and Iran: The Threats That Aren't by Michael Scheuer In reference to coercive British rule, Tom Paine once told Americans that there is something absurd about the idea that the entire continent of North America should be forever ruled by the little island of Great Britain. Paine, as always in his work, was trying to make Americans think for themselves and, in this case, to see that their own geographic size, rising wealth, and potential power made it ridiculous for them to forever acquiesce to rule from London. Paine's lesson is apt today in regard to both Syria and Iran. Since I was a young man – now a fading memory – I have heard U.S. politicians warn of the threat presented to America by Syria. There is, of course, something superficially plausible about this. We know that Syria is another of the Muslim world's family-run dictatorships – most of the others are U.S. allies – and that the Assad boys are murderous autocrats and thugs. Likewise, our Israeli friends and their Israel-first American supporters have long harped on the idea – and thereby have misled Americans – that Syria is a military threat to the United States. But look at the map. Syria is a tiny country, dirt poor except for weapons, and ruled by a dentist. It also is being slowly undermined by the Islamists who the Assads have foolishly tried to co-opt. It is an insignificant dot on the map that poses no threat whatsoever to the United States. If Damascus allows Islamist fighters into Iraq to attack coalition forces, America should take steps to end that situation. But as much as we talk about the issue, we do nothing about it, probably because the inflow from Syria is not as large as the inflow from our great and good ally Saudi Arabia. Besides, allowing the inflow from Syria to continue gives Senator Lieberman – the current poster boy of America's Israel-firsters – the ability to beat the war drum against the supposedly mighty Syrians. Surely, if Senator Lieberman truly believes the Syrians are a threat to America, the people of Connecticut have sent – hopefully unwittingly – someone akin to the agent of a foreign power to the U.S. Senate. Syria might be a threat to Israel, but the idea that it is a threat to the United States, that the armored Syrian horde may sweep across the Bronx, occupy Manhattan, and lasciviously ogle New Jersey, should be met with the most appropriate response possible – convulsive and derisive laughter. And then there is Iran. How does one explain the U.S. governing elite's fear of Iran? Here we have a country that admittedly is led by one of the world's more histrionic politicians, but one that also is ringed by U.S. military bases and surrounded by an overwhelmingly more numerous Sunni world that hates Shi'ites far more than it hates Westerners. Iran‘s Islamic regime, moreover, is helplessly watching the final stages of the march of its energy resources toward oblivion, and preparing for the impoverishment and resulting internal political instability that event will usher in. So where in this portrait is the threat to the United States? While Iran is a threat to Israel, there is surely no threat to America in Iran's less-than-impressive military forces, nuclear development program, or unattractive public diplomacy. No, the threat to the United States comes from two sources. First, the relentless "Iran is the new Nazi Germany" propaganda pushed by Israel and the American citizen Israel-firsters, and, second, the multi-decade failure of the U.S. Congress to seriously address the national-security issues of energy, borders, and immigration. As in the case of Syria – although for fewer years because Iran's previous tyrant was on America's side until the Mullahs seized power in 1979 – most American adults have grown up with the idea that Iran is a dire threat to U.S. national security. Sparked mainly by memories of the U.S. embassy hostages held for 400-plus days while President Carter diddled, Americans have been ripe for the delusions induced by the periodic visits of Binyamin Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians, and their well-staged rants that equate the creaky, mostly foreign-purchased, and slightly more than tin-pot military machine of the Ayatollahs with Hitler's Wehrmacht, the product of an extremely modern industrial economy, a united populace ready for revenge against its conquerors, and the Germans' apparently genetic talent and taste for war. To say that Netanyahu, other Israeli politicians, and their American Israel-first supporters are being disingenuous in pushing the Iranian threat would be incorrect. They are consistently and blatantly lying. No, the threat to the United States from Iran is not military, it is rather from America‘s most dangerous home-grown terrorists – the U.S. Congress. Iran threatens America economically because it has the capability to disrupt oil production in Saudi Arabia's Eastern province. Such an Iranian effort would be a casus belli for the United States only because the U.S. Congress has done nothing more substantial than advance Daylight Savings Time by three weeks since the Saudi-led embargoes of the 1970s. Thirty-five years of the Congress' utter failure to address energy security as a top priority national interest has made Iran a threat to America that it otherwise could not be. Likewise, the terrorist threat from Iran – which is genuine – must be labeled by the U.S. Congress. Neither Iran's government or its Revolutionary Guard Corps, or their Lebanese semi-surrogate Hezbollah are going to launch a terrorist first strike in the United States. All of these entities are rational actors and they know a first-strike from their side would earn them a catastrophic response. But the rub comes for America from the fact that each of the just-mentioned entities have a terrorism infrastructure established in North America – in the United States, Canada, and Mexico – that could and would be used in response to a U.S. or Israeli first strike on Iran. And that response would be effective inside America because – thanks to the Congress' knowing failure to control borders and immigration – no level of U.S. law enforcement has anything near a complete handle on the size, intentions, capabilities, and targets of our potential Iranian attackers. So perhaps its time for Americans to reread Mr. Paine, begin thinking for themselves, and recognize the expensive and potentially war-causing absurdities that have been foisted on them regarding the "threat" from Syria and Iran by their bipartisan governing elite and its deserving-to-be-indicted co-conspirators, Israel's government and its American Israel-first acolytes. If viewed with a realistic eye rather than one clouded by propaganda, the claims that two decaying blotches on the map named Syria and Iran constitute severe national-security threats to the United States would earn the dismissive scorn they so richly merit. Michael Scheuer is a 22-year veteran of the CIA and the author of Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror. Source: http://www.antiwar.com/scheuer/?articleid=11559
Where do you come up with this shit, seriously ? For me, anyhow, Syria currently is QUITE a threat, same goes to Iran. We almost got into a war with Syria because these morons got the wrong impression.
Yep no kidding this is crap. Proof of the threats are in the actions of the two countries who have collectively declared and went to war with two separate countries that had not attacked them first. In those wars they overthrew both governments then installed their own brand of government. They have killed over 100k of citizens in those countries and created mass chaos and destruction not seen ever including a drug trade in one that is flourishing under the new rule. There leaders have openly threatened a country with a nuclear strike with no proof of claims leveled against them. Nuclear is of course a threat on the humanity of any country for now and all foreseeable future. Yep Syria and Iran are real baddies and prove such in their constant warlike actions and crimes on world humanity fo.............Oh wait a minute.........
This shit, as you call it, was written by Michael Scheuer who is a 22-year veteran of the CIA. I bet he knows a bit more about Syria and Iran than you do.
I honestly don't give a damn if he's a 22 year veteran of the CIA. Fact is a fact - for me, as a citizen of Israel - Syria and Iran holds a huge threat. As did Iraq, back in it's time. No article of some veteran CIA will change that, only these countries can.
Then you go fight them you numbnutz, as far as I am concerned Israel is the true enemy of the United States.
Iraq back in 91' bombed Israel because it posed a THREAT to Israel. And we weren't even involved in the battle that was going on there.
IIRC, Schuerer also was the head of the Bin Laden unit for the CIA. Unlike the retired generals and capitol hill reporters the MSM parades before us, this guy is a real American patriot and has the intimate knowledge of the enemy. When he speaks, people should definitely take time to digest what he is saying, and if they feel it is false, provide evidence to the contrary.
Iran and Syria are both threats to US, but not militarily really, msotly economical and influencing other countries... I dont think anyone fears that Iran will bomb US anytime soon...
They are not threat to the US. The reason why the american people believe that Iran and Syria are a threat is because Israel and their zionist lobby in washington want them to believe so. Israel dislikes Iran and Syria and for that reason, Israel wants the US to be hostile to those countries and attack them.
Don't talk such crap. If you are real (and not a GTech bot or summats) then you have got nothing to fear. Israel has plenty of nukes (all paid for by the USA - God Bless America! ) so really Israel has nothing to worry about. Don't fall for the BS mate, do not be a SHEEPLE!
Right. Israel has nukes, this means Israel is superior to everything, and has nothing to fear of. No one really threatens Israel, not Syria with whom we nearly went to war with recently, not Iraq in it's day that bombed us for no apparent reason, and certainly not Iran - who provides almost all the weapons to Syria, Hizbulla and all your other mates. Israel is not the US. We reside quite near with these lunatics. Anything can happen.
The only thing you have to fear is fear itself. Israel has enough nukes to take out most of the Middle East, for any country around it (all without nukes) to take on the 52nd state would be suicidal. You just buy the BS that keeps the sheeple in fear.
There is no hope for you, AGS... There is no hope... Yep, these scumbag infidels. I heard Israelis eat Palestinian babies for dinner. Is that true ?
the main threat to world peace right now, apart of course from america's empire building antics much supported by it's puppet state britain, is the volatile state of affairs across the whole of the middle east and north africa caused mainly by the west's blatant support of israel, to the detriment of all else. indeed no matter what israel does to palestinian communities, the world - that is the western world - turns away, whereas if an islamic fundamentalist group lays one finger on a westerner or israeli - the two are synonmous - the western world is outraged and may even make pre-emptive strikes. the fact is that most islamic terrorist groups including al quaida are a direct response to the israeli problem. so why do we keep looking for someone to blame, the blame lies squarely with israel and with us, britain and america, for committing heinous war crimes that are not even recognised as such. why can we not start telling it like it is.