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When Regime Change Meets Reality

Neocons' ExperienceShock and Awe

Talk about a grabber for an opening paragraph . . .

A funny thing happened to President George W Bush's policy of regime change in Iraq. It had the sobering experience of bumping into a strange creature in Iraq called reality. That experience may also be depicted as the Middle Eastern version of "shock and awe", except this time the United States was on the receiving end.

The author sees two factors, assuming that Bush is elected, that cramp regime change in Iran: (1.) rhetoric of war in Iraq has yet to be proven so similar charges in Iran will be even more difficult to press. (2.) the uncertainty of what is going to happen on the Korean peninsula.

The Bush administration knows these realities and will have to be careful about dealing with Iran. However, the neo-conservatives in Washington are becoming increasingly restless about a seemingly lack of enthusiasm on the part of the White House to turn up the heat on the ayatollahs. The alliance between them and the Iranian royalists residing in the US - much like the one between the neo-conservatives and the Gucci guerrillas of the Iraqi National Congress - is quite active in its own propaganda campaign against the Islamic Republic. Needless to say, these neo-cons - especially those who are not part of the administration, but love to hover close to it for the air of prestige that such a hovering creates in the eyes of the Washington media - have the luxury of sitting in ivory towers in places like the American Enterprise Institute or the Heritage Foundation, slurp crab bisque soup while munching on multigrain bread, totally oblivious to the meaning of that old adage, "war is hell", but discuss the next war as if they are deciding which movie they should see next.