Letters to the Editor
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False Premise
Podhoretz wrote:
But a bombing campaign would without question set back its nuclear program for years to come, and might even lead to the overthrow of the mullahs.
(Emphasis added)
This is the entire premise upon which his argument lies, yet he completely misses the basic lesson of 9/11. On 9/10, President Bush had approval ratings of about 53%, and no semblance of a domestic or foreign agenda. There was already talk of his presidency being a failure. One week later, after the terrorist attacks, his approval rating was over 90%.
Why is this? People rally around their leaders in a time of crisis, even if they didn't much like them before. If we attack Iran, why would we not expect the same result? The most likely result is that the hard-line government, which is not much beloved by the younger generation of Iranians, would suddenly find unwavering support from the entire nation.
Is this really the result we desire?