Since Sept. 11, 2001, our government has become much more aggressive in confronting potential security threats. The current administration is now laying the ground work for a preemptive attack against Iran. Before we begin another war, let’s consider the potential threat Iran poses to the United States. Even if one concedes the administration’s claim that Iran’s civilian nuclear program is actually intended to produce nuclear weapons, so what?

While a nuclear armed Iran could be very dangerous to other Persian Gulf states, Israel or possibly Europe, it does not currently have the missile technology to target the United States, and is not expected to acquire it any time soon. So while a nuclear Iran may threaten many nations, it cannot threaten the United States. Therefore, rather than obsessing over sanctions and considering yet another war, how about we simply do nothing?

Some worry that Iran would give nuclear weapons to al Qaida. However, this fear ignores historical tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims that make cooperation of this magnitude unlikely. Moreover, to quote Brent Scowcroft, the Iranians are unlikely to provide a terrorist group with a weapon of mass destruction that has “a return address of Tehran.”

Rather than condone another catastrophic war, please send President Cheney and his lackey, George Bush, the message that Iran is not a threat to American security and should be left alone. Unless, of course, all this concern is really about oil ...?

Doug Contri,

Lewisburg