What to do about Iran?
1:17amLast night, The Spectator and Intelligence Squared hosted a debate on whether it would be better to bomb Iran than let it develop nuclear weapons. The speakers for the motion included the former CIA Middle East specialist Reuel Marc Gerecht and the political scientists Emanuele Ottolenghi and Bruno Tertrais. Sir Richard Dalton, the former British ambassador to Iran, Ali Ansari, a leading academic expert on Iran and Simon Jenkins, the columnist and former editor, opposed the motion. You can listen to the whole debate here.
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Comments
wongiranger
January 23rd, 2008 10:01amOne of the best I2 debates I've attended. Only negative was the discomfort felt with any reference to Israel by opposers of the motion or the from the floor - frequently out of context to the subject of the motion, and accompanied by whoops and cheers from the "anti-zionist" quarter of the audience. Again, this lemming-like response reinforces the depressing impression of a growing undercurrent that perceives the solution to all political challenges between the West and the Islamic world to be denial of Jewish self-determination
Nicholas Millman
January 23rd, 2008 10:45amThe pervasiveness of anti-Israeli sentiment is very worrying but I watched the documentary 'No End In Sight' last night and was shocked at the display of American government incompetence and arrogance in post-invasion Iraq. It seems to be a western trend, in both governments and the corporate world, that the counsel of older, wiser heads or those with hands-on experience is disregarded by those more interested in their career paths than the job in hand.
Winston
January 24th, 2008 1:44amI liked Mr. Reuel Marc Gerecht's views. Very good if they could be implemented!
Marcus
January 24th, 2008 7:07amIm disgusted just by the basics of this so-called debate. Iran with the bomb or Bombing Iran are not just the two options/scenarios available. It is very possible that Iran just wants to develop nuclear technology for energy purposes. A bit hypocritical of Western nations to try to weane themselves off fossil fuels but relegate Iran to use petroleum for electricity generation. Conservative war-mongering once again on display.