Iran With Nuclear Weapons

Unfortunately, it looks like it will come to that. What can be done has been a key issue the last several years. Charles Krauthammer's opinion is that we will have to treat Iran the way we treated the USSR during the cold war:

During the Cold War, we prevented an attack not only on the U.S. but also on America’s allies by extending the American nuclear umbrella — i.e., declaring that any attack on our allies would be considered an attack on the United States.

Such a threat is never 100 percent credible. Nonetheless, it made the Soviets think twice about attacking our European allies. It kept the peace.

Go over and read the rest. It is a good article.

I don't think this will be as strong a deterrent as it was with the Soviets. This worked with them because we had just proven our strength and determination during WWII.

Iran does not fear the US. They have thumbed their noses at us for a long time now, and they now feel the US is weak. They have declared this many times over the last 20 years. I agree to some extent. Not about our military mind you, about our leaders. They have proven time and again that they are more interested in popularity than keeping the US safe. As far as the UN goes, that whole organization is a joke and Iranian leaders know it.

What I think needs to be done is this. We need to give Iran a reason to fear us. We need to stand with Israel to ensure Iran does not get these weapons in the first place.

I do not see that happening though.

So then we would have to take Mr. Krauthammer's advise:

How to create deterrence? The way John Kennedy did during the Cuban missile crisis. President Bush should issue the following declaration, adopting Kennedy’s language while changing the names of the miscreants:

It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear attack upon Israel by Iran, or originating in Iran, as an attack by Iran on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon Iran.

Of course I don't think this will happen. If this warning were given, Iran would not take it seriously. Given the actions of our leaders over the last 20 years I can't say as I blame them.