Voice from Africa

In 1979, the world recorded the change of a formidable US ally; the Shah of Iran. It was the year of the Velayat; the Iranian revolution. The Ayatollahs came to the scene and ever since had controlled events in Tehran. America is a country where all wounds are new. She hasn't forgiven the Ayatollahs not to talk of forgetting the outlining events in the American Embassy Hostage and the botched rescue mission. Iran has always been in the red book of terrorism after these events. The American spy; Israel follows the step of his special sponsor, tagging Iran as her number one enemy in the Middle East; at least, Saddam is dead.

During the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), America gave heavy weapons and artilleries to Saddam Hussein of Iraq; weapons the latter only used a fraction and kept the most sophisticated. Part of these weapons were used to bomb Israel during the Iraq-Kuwait war. Rather than retaliation, the US paid billions of dollars to Israel to calm the tension so a decisive blow can be done to Saddam and his arsenal. It paid off. Saddam was defeated and a UN inspection team was sent to check his arsenal. He cooperated a little and later sent the team packing. Old wounds are new; George Bush finally dismantled the arsenal America assisted Saddam to assemble in the infamous Coalition of the Willing attack in 2003.

Iran refused to learn. Saddam was not directly immediately attacked. It started from sanctions to make the economy crumble, then gradually there was a gateway for a military assault. Ahmadinejad and Khamenei know full well that they exist in the midst of enemies whose battleships and warheads lie across the Strait of Hormuz. Why trading fisticuffs when your economy is right in front of their warheads? Though Iran has complete access to a nuclear technology and by extension a nuclear weapon, the irresponsibilty of the Ayatollahs and the Iranian leaders over the years blurr all prospects of support.

One good thing about Iranians is that they are good thinkers. Very thoughtful Persians who love the Beautiful Persian Cat and will not want its death and demise, hence they are conscious of any Libyan-like or Syrian-like revolt. Just as US and NATO lied over the No-fly zone in Libya and Gaddafi's death is giving Assad's Syria a chance to breath, Iraq's lies and Saddam's death is giving Ahmadinejad's Iran the dim prospect of an eventual attack. The world waits.