The U.S. has re-elected President Barack Obama today! During the Presidential Debates both Obama and Romney shared their proposed policies on Iran. PITAPOLICY Founder and CEO, Mehrunisa Qayyum, analyzes these policies and how “the military option on Iran will affect 75 million people.”
Even If Both Candidates Agree on Iran, the Military Option Still Affects 75 Million People
By: Mehrunisa Qayyum
Up until the Oct. 22 presidential debate, the hardline on Iran was one of the distinguishing factors between candidates Obama and Romney, where Romney identified with more hawkish positions: sending troops to Syria and rallying a war cry for Iran. Romney wrote, “If you want peace, prepare for war” in his op-ed on Iran. Like many presidential elections coming to a close, the hawkish candidate has moderated his rhetoric.
Since the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, I have attended over 10 briefings that reviewed U.S.-Iranian relations, mostly through a military conflict lens. Both Iranian-American (yes, there are Iranian-Americans) and non-Iranian-American experts would assess either a) the possibility of Iran “going nuclear” (or more precisely enriching uranium beyond the 20 percent threshold and build a nuclear weapon) or b) reassessing the likelihood that Iran will actually attack the United States and/or Israel. All ten briefings filled to capacity because there is no sequel to the famous film Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
