From: daniels@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Daniel R. Sawyer)
Subject: Re: Soviet Nuclear Weapons Stolen? / The Count
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 13:15:08 GMT

snggab01@uctvax.uct.ac.za writes:

>In article <1992Aug23.160415.20938@ncsu.edu>, hernlem@chess.ncsu.EDU (Brad Hernlem) writes:
>> 
>> As to the issue that some may have been transferred to Iran, I doubt whether
>> any of the new Islamic Republics would be willing to hand over nukes to
>> a potential adversary like Iran.  These governments are fairly Western in
>> outlook, having already opened diplomatic relations with Israel.

I would not go too far out on a limb saying that the Central Asian Reps. are
Western in outlook.  Socially, they will soon be, if they are not know, Islamic
in outlook.  Politically, they very well make an effort to be as Western as
they reasonablly can. Western facade==$$$.  Not that this is a bad thing. I
fully believe that a people should turn to their own heritage and beliefs once
their conquerers are overthrown.  But although Iran, Turkey and Saudi are 
scrambling for influence in this area, the Reps. want to be noticed by the 
U.S. and West as well, just in case Russia decides to come back.

>> They 
>> ^^^^                                                                 
>> probably see Iran correctly as a powerful radical government, bent on
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> expanding its influence by destabilizing its neighbors.  
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Personally, I think Iran has mellowed in the past couple of years. I think they
are trying to rebuild their economy and stock up on arms that they will need
in the future. 

>Who was it that provided Saddam with arms for nearly ten years to bomb and maim
>Iranian and Kurdish civilians ? Who subsequently bombed Iraq and killed or
>injured nearly 40000 civilians. ? Who has now been providing arms to Syria
>as a warm newly found friend ? James Baker was on television shaking the hand
>of Hafez Assad,a hand that was slippery with blood.

Yep, that was the U.S.  Although others certainly helped.  But we should give
credit (or discredit) where it is due.  I think the bribe deal to get Syria
into the war by giving them Lebanon and God knows what else was bad.  We'll
regret it later, I regret it now.

>Iran is a  democratic republic in which unlike America ,a woman can walk
>the streets without the fear of being raped and drug dealers and rapists are 
>mercilessly executed.Long live Iran! Long live the Islamic revolution !.

Certainly one has to respect the efforts of the Iranian govt to eradicate
drug dealers.  And I noticed earlier this year that there were ELECTIONS in
Iran.  Not only that, but I saw pictures of WOMEN voting in the New York
Times.  I also saw pictures of WOMEN dressed in WESTERN clothing working in
a financial firm in Tehran.

It seems to me that Iran is much more democratic than Iraq, Saudi Arabia, 
Kuwait, Syria, Jordan and anyone else the U.S. has ever propped up in the
Middle East (Israel excluded).

				Daniel
				UofI at Urbana-Champaign
-- 
Daniel R. Sawyer
daniel-sawyer@uiuc.edu

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