Iran and World War III

"Our country, and the entire international community, cannot stand by as a terror-supporting state fulfills its grandest ambitions," Dick Cheney said in reference to the current nuclear technology in Iran. In response to the United States’ accusations of secretly developing nuclear weapons, Iran says that its development of such technology is for peaceful purposes, as well as generating electricity. However, it is believed that Iran is doubling its efforts to produce nuclear weapons and has become more radical under the leadership of the president of the country – Mr. Ahmadinejad. Under his leadership, Iran has rebelled twice against the United Nations Security Council and has quickened its progress of developing uranium.

In reaction to the Iranian threat, President Bush warns Iran that their development of nuclear weapons could lead to World War III. President Bush and Vice-President Cheney have openly said that Iran having nuclear weapons is “not acceptable,” and have changed their opinions demanding Iran to destroy their weapons, saying that the United States will not “allow” Iran to possess them. President Bush has been trying to coerce other world powers to help stop Iran’s progression of developing nuclear weapons. Military action has been threatened, but public officials insist upon negotiating and imposing economic sanctions on Iran before they deploy troops to Iran. These economic sanctions mean that “no U.S. citizen or private organization will be allowed to engage in financial transactions with these persons and entities," said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

President Bush hopes that the sanctions placed on Iran and the burden of isolation will deter Iran from its continued progress in developing nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, Iran does not realize the magnitude of its isolation, and Iran’s president, Ahmadinejad, scorned the sanction imposed by the United Nations Security Council, calling the sanctions “worthless papers.” He furthers his argument by saying that the sanction has “no value,” will hold “no effect on the will of the Iranian nation,” and says that Iran will become more self-reliant because of the sanction placed upon the country.

If these economic sanctions do not deter Iran from further progress on the completion of nuclear weapons, the United States has threatened to deploy troops to Iraq. However, I wonder how many troops are left in the United States to be deployed. If the military is needed in Iran, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, says that there is “more than enough reserve to respond.” At the beginning of the war with Iraq, there were about 130,000 soldiers and marines. At the end of 2003, the number of soldiers lessened to approximately 50,000. However, by March 1, 2006, the number increased to 133,000. Currently in Iraq, there are about 168,000 soldiers. Do we really need to deploy any more soldiers? I honestly don’t think America can handle another war. There are many American protestors against the current war and fighting two wars at once does not seem plausible at the current time.