Rick Jones, that solution is the simplest, the least violent and the fairest.

BeeBee ,

Excellent post! “Take away the weapons.” Yes I like that.

Let’s declare a no fly zone over the region and demand that Israel destroy all of its planes, ships, tanks, nuclear and other weapons. If they refuse then we will do it for them.

Then we insert a UN force to implement all UN resolutions concerning the region, starting with 242 and 338.

Actually, 242 merely calls for Israel to withdraw from all occupied territories acquired during the 1967 6-day war. We will sponsor a new resolution requiring Israel to withdraw to its original 1947 UN partition with 55% of Palestine, vacating the territories occupied after the 1948 war which gave it 78% of Palestine.

"But let us not be negative. Palestine and Israel exist on what many consider holy land, where miracles happen."DK

For the miracle to happen, scrap the road map, take away all the weapons then put in a single secular state. As soon as that happens,no more worries about Iran attacking or being attacked. No need for alliances to counter the other. A land where people are equal and must share would finally be a holy land, until then, we wait.

And another report form Dr. Kapila on how India may fit into the strategic mix:

http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers13%5Cpaper1284.html

March 9, 2005

IRAN IN THE STRATEGIC MATRIX OF RUSSIA, CHINA AND INDIA: An Analysis
by Dr. Subhash Kapila

“The European Union, with the exception of the United Kingdom, is largely against American use of force and military preemption against Iran.

However, the strategic matrix in which Iran is perceived by the non-European key global players like Russia, China and India is of greater strategic significance and deserves detailed analysis.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the above and bring out the strategic convergences of Russia, China and India focusing on Iran…

Iran in the Russian Strategic Matrix…

Iran in the Chinese Strategic Matrix…

Iranian analysts perceive China as a natural ally, since both China and Iran are viewed by the United States as anti-America and being targeted by the United States as such…

Iran in India’s Strategic Matrix…

Iran figures in the strategic matrix of India in the following ways:

-Iran figures heavily in India’s national security interests as a nation with which a strategic partnership is most desirable.

-Iran provides India’s trade and commercial land access to Central Asian markets and Afghanistan.

-India and Iran have a strategic convergence on the political independence and stability of Afghanistan.

-Iran's predominantly Russian military inventory profile provides prospects for maintenance contracts for India’s defence industry.

-Iran offers a significant and vast market in close proximity for India’s trade and industry.
Iran offers a reliable and vital source for India’s expanding energy needs. Sizeable cooperation is already taking place.

The mutual convergences between India and Iran have resulted in asserting and crafting a “strategic partnership” as highlighted in the Teheran Declaration (2001) and the Delhi Declaration (2003).

Concluding Observations:

Russia, China and India have close ties with Iran with no conflictual record plaguing their relationship. Iran figures significantly in the strategic matrix of Russia, China and India and those cannot be subverted or subsumed to serve United States strategic interests.

Iran too has corresponding convergence of its national security interests with Russia, China and India and it is therefore not a one way street.

With the likelihood of United States employing military intervention and pre-emptive strategies against Iran’s nuclear programmes, it would be interesting to await and watch how Russia, China and India singly or jointly respond to United States veiled threats to use the military option against Iran’s nuclear weapons programme. It could be one case in which the European Union too may have convergences with Russia, China and India.

Russia, China and India cannot be faulted by the United States for Iran figuring in multiple ways advantageously in their respective strategic matrixes. While Iran may be viewed as a national security threat by the United States, the national security interests of Russia, China and India determine it to be otherwise.

Iran is not Iraq which can be subdued by American high technology warfare and military strategies of "shock and awe". It is a monolithic civilisational power with underpinnings of intense nationalism and Shia religious fervour.

Against the background above, the following questions arise:

-Can USA go it alone in enforcing its unilateral military strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities?

-Would USA's policy of engaging Iran politically through intermediaries like the European Union bring about the desired results?

-Can Russia, China and India influence Iran in any way in line with the United States strategic interests?

The answer to all three questions is NO. The United States has no choice but to engage Iran directly, officially and politically. The United States can ill afford to let its historical baggage of animosity towards Iran cloud its current decision making. Iran holds the key to West Asian stability and USA needs to recognize it.

Here is an excellent report by Dr. Kapila on this subject:

http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2007_10_14_archive.html

RUSSIA: PRESIDENT PUTIN’S VISIT TO IRAN IS A STRATEGIC CHALLENGE TO UNITED STATES

By Dr. Subhash Kapila

“President Putin’s visit to Iran this week (October 16-17, 2007) has taken place at a strategically significant juncture both for Iran and Russia…

Russia’s resurgence lately has been made possible and impelled lately by a combination of factors, chief of which being:

(1) Russia’s nationalistic aspirations under President Putin

(2) United States condescending attitudes towards Russia

(3) NATO’s eastward enlargement towards Russian borders engineered by the United States

(4) United States military presence in Central Asia

(5) United States Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) deployments in Eastern Europe

(6) Russia’s increasing oil revenues facilitating modernization and up-gradation of strategic assets

(7) Russia’s intensified strategic partnership with China…

In 2005 President Putin made his first strategic foray by visiting Egypt and Israel along with meetings with Palestinian leaders.

Earlier this year, President Putin made his second strategic foray when he visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan. All these three monarchial countries are strong allies of the United States in the Middle East and hosting US military presence in the region.

President Putin’s third strategic foray to the Middle East has taken place in October 2007 with a visit to Iran within eight months of his last foray. This underscores Russia’s bid to displace the United States exclusive presence from the security architecture of the Middle East that it had crafted over the years.

Within a span of eight months, the Russian President has covered both the littorals of The Gulf and the political divide that separates the littorals in the region. Iran in any case since the early 1990s was emerging as a pro-Russian state but Putin’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan, all pro-US and fearful of Iran imparts Russia and President Putin with a rare strategic halo…

In sharp contrast to the United States image in the Middle East taking a beating because of Iraq and Afghanistan the image of Russia and the Russian President is bound to soar with the perception that Russia is an “Arab and Moslem Nations Friendly” power.

The above developments are likely to have a significant impact on American security interests in the Middle East with the changed strategic situation of Arab and Moslem countries opening up to a resurgent Russia…

Concluding Observations

The Middle East once again seems to be reviving as an important strategic chessboard for the competing national security interests of the United States and Russia.

Russia seems to be at a growing advantage on the Middle East strategic chessboard as a result of the three strategic forays that President Putin has made into this region in a span of just over two years.

With United States influence waning in the Middle East as a result of Iraq and Afghanistan [not to mention Israel] and perceptions in the Middle East that the United States is an anti-Moslem power, the strategic influence of Russia is likely to grow in the region on the rebound.

Realist,

Unfortunately, not even the “breeding of Israeli Arabs” will help. It is only a matter of time before the Zionists start kicking Israeli Arabs out of the country and/or killing all Israeli Arab newborn, and/or sterilizing the Israeli Arab population.

Brian MCC,

Yes, one state is the only solution, but it will take WW III to make it happen. What are you doing up there in the artic anyway, manning a radar screen? Stay awake!

WW III will be the US_Israel axis of evil vs. the Russia_China_Islam axis. Here is a link to the new Russia_China_Iran triangle:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/GF04Ad07.html

June 4, 2005

“The military implementation of the George W Bush administration's unilateralist foreign policy is creating monumental changes in the world's geostrategic alliances. The most significant of these changes is the formation of a new triangle comprised of China, Iran and Russia.

Growing ties between Moscow and Beijing in the past 18 months is an important geopolitical event that has gone practically unnoticed. China's premier, Wen Jiabao, visited Russia in September 2004. In October 2004, President Vladimir Putin visited China. During the October meeting, both China and Russia declared that Sino-Russian relations had reached "unparalleled heights". In addition to settling long-standing border issues, Moscow and Beijing agreed to hold joint military exercises in 2005. This marks the first large-scale military exercises between Russia and China since 1958.

The joint military exercises complement a rapidly growing arms trade between Moscow and Beijing. China is Russia's largest buyer of military equipment. In 2004, China was reported to have signed deals worth more than $2 billion for Russian arms. These included naval ships and submarines, missile systems and aircraft. According to the head of Russia's armed forces, Anatoliy Kvashnin, "our defense industrial complex is working for this country [China], supplying the latest models of arms and military equipment, which the Russian army does not have". Russia's relations with China are not limited to military trade. In the past five years, non-military trade between Russia and China has increased at an average annual rate of nearly 20%. Moscow and Beijing have targeted non-military trade to reach $60 billion by 2010, from $20 billion in 2004. One of the key components of commercial trade is Russian energy exports to China.

In early 2005, Moscow agreed to more than double electricity exports to China, to 800 million kilowatt hours (kWh), by 2006. Officials at Russia's electricity monopoly, Unified Energy Systems, are also courting Chinese investment in the development and renovation of Russia's electricity system. In October 2004, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Russia's Gazprom signed a series of agreements intended to study how Russia can best supply natural gas to China. At the same time, Russia signed specific agreements with China on oil exports.

Russia's oil shipments to China are slated to reach 10 million tons in 2005, increasing to 15 million tons in 2006. All of these shipments will be made by rail. However, this agreement was overshadowed by talks concerning the construction of an oil pipeline from Siberia to northern China. Russia has been pondering an oil pipeline to China for nearly 10 years. In 2002, plans for this pipeline received a boost when Moscow pledged to invest $2 billion in an oil pipeline running from the Siberian city of Angarsk to Daqing in northeastern China…”

The article goes on to say that at the request of Japan, who is willing to finance the entire $10 Billion plus cost of the pipeline, the pipeline will terminate at Russia's Pacific port of Nakhodka. The pipeline will still pass within 40 miles of the Russian border with China, so it will be a simple matter to add a spur directly into China.

So what we have brewing here is an alliance between China, Russia, Iran and possibly Japan. I can see Pakistan and Afghanistan joining this alliance. The question then is which way would Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the other Gulf Oil States go? Iraq would undoubtedly go with their Shiite brethren in Iran. The presence of the Zionist occupiers of Palestine in the US_Israel axis of evil would probably drive the Suni Gulf Oil States to hold their noses and join the Russia_China_Iran axis. The future world superpowers will be in the Russia_China_Iran axis.

Are you talking about And-a-flop-it-is?

It is the holy land, place of mystic belief and miracles. The 1948 creation of Israel displaced Palestinians, and to date, settlements continue. There is only a 1 state solution and like a panelist with black glasses sees darkness, denial can only be declared for a finite period of time. I am only 52, and in my life have witnessed the continued arrogance and aggression displayed by Tel Aviv and Washington, allies in 'democracy.'

The Palestines don't have any reason for hope. Sadly there is nothing in the cards that will change the situation for decades, except the breeding of Israeli Arabs.

The Palestines don't have any reason for hope. Sadly there is nothing in the cards that will change the situation for decades, except the breeding of Israeli Arabs.

I doubt one more photo-op in George's backyard rates as the top story!
Loosing Gaza to Hamas?
One more year of subjugation?
One more year of humiliation?
One more year of American Hubris?