Comment: Why Iran is part of the "axis"
Note: The opinions expressed are his own and do not represent the views of INS News

Washington, Jun. 21 2002 (INS News) -- People wondered why George W Bush labeled the so called reformist government of Iran in his "axis of evil" speech. The country apparantly has come along way since the original ayotallah Komeni died in 1989. Iran after all, has held four relatively democratic elections since 1997. This is hardly the case in Iraq and North Korea. Iran has come a long way.

However, that is not saying much from where they have been and still are doing. The hard line mullahs want desperately to oust the reformist president Mohammed Khatami and restore their vision of tyranical theocracy. The situation going on there is similar to the situation Russia experienced shortly after the fall of communism. That coup failed to restore communism, but Khatami may not be as lucky as Gorbachev.

The "axis of evil' speech was a clear warning to the mullahs in Iran what may happen if they oust Khatami. The only reason they haven't is it might enrage the many Iranians clamoring for more democracy.

There is no reason for the hornets nest becoming stirred by the inclusion of Iran in George W Bush's speech a few months back. Iran has been actively pursuing a nuclear weapons program. it would love to join pakistan as the second Islamic nuclear power. Iran is also jockeying for influence in Afghanistan possibly threatening the new interim government. There is also plenty of evidence of Iran giving refuge to top Al Queda members and it continues to support terrorist networks around the world.

This is the same country that was recently caught shipping 50 tons of weapons including the infamous plastic explosives. This is the favorite weapon of suicidal terrorists and has no place in a conventional war chest. Anti-Israeli groups like hezbillah and Islamic Jihad are heavily funded by the government of Iran. Many of these brutal barbaric attacks on innocent civilians at cafes and malls are a direct result of Iran.

What is happening to the Israelis in Jerusalem is not much different to what the jews in Warsaw experienced in 1943 at the hands of the Nazis. Both Hezbollah and the Nazis main goal was and is to kill as many civilians as possible in the shortest amount of time. That seems pretty evil to me and Iran is very much responsible.

-- Andreas Munger in Chicago. E-Mail: a.munger@insnews.org
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