Why Would the US Attack Iran?

Flashback 2002:
"Why would Iraq attack America or use nuclear weapons against us? I'll tell you what I think the real threat (is) and actually has been since 1990 -- it's the threat against Israel, ... the American government doesn't want to lean too hard on it rhetorically, because it is not a popular sell ..."
- Philip Zelikow, former member of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and executive director of the 9/11 Commission. Statement made at the University of Virginia on Sep. 10, 2002

Here we go again, or so it would seem. Despite the fact that Iran poses no military threat to the U.S. and the fact that to date there is absolutely no evidence backing the claim that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, American/Israeli saber rattling at Iran is only growing in volume. With the U.S. busy failing in Iraq, losing all of its initial gains in Afghanistan, and being humiliated in the face of actual nuclear proliferation, no military assault on Iran could conceivably be in America's interest.

Although military action against Iran is certainly not in America's interest, it certainly is in Israel's interest and the U.S. is fully aware of it. Now that the U.S. has eliminated Iraq as a viable threat to Israel, the only other state in the region that challenges Israel's regional hegemony is Iran. Israel has left no doubt that it considers military aggression a viable option with respect to Iran. Nevertheless, clearly it would suit Israel even better if the United States would attack Iran on its behalf as they have been lobbying for. Not surprisingly, this is precisely what the Israel-Firsters in Washington have been openly calling for. So make no mistake about it, if we - as in the United States - opt to attack Iran, it will be for the benefit of Israel.

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