Re: "the US had been ignoring the Al-Q and Islamist problem since 1979, when Iran took our US Embassy and our citizens for well over a year.... We did NOTHING about that either...."
I would note that al Qaeda is an organization derived from Whabbist (Saudi) SUNNI theology --- a natural enemy and opponent of the Shiites, including of course the Shiites in Iran and in Iraq.
(In fact, they are actively at war with the Shiites in Iraq right now... basically working for the Sunni side of the civil war.)
So, I would *not* oversimplify matters by lumping 'al Qaeda' and 'Iran' together --- they are factions that can be played against each other, not at all the 'same thing'. (That would be like saying that the two sides, Catholic and Protestant, in the 'Troubles' in Ireland were the 'same thing', when in fact they were warring against each other.)
And, as far as the rise of fundamentalists and Theocrats in Iran goes... that's a pretty good indication to me that the US screwed up big time by installing a local King to lord it over the population after WW II (the Shah's father), and to sign oil contracts over to U.S. firms on favorable terms.... and we were *doubly* foolish when we overthrew the Democratically elected government of Iran that had replaced the Shah, to install his son as the second Shah.
Likely the Theocrats would have NEVER been popular or powerful enough to move into control if we had not killed the Democracy *first* by installing two Kings to rule over the people.
(People everywhere tend to sorta RESIST when foreigners over-throw their governments and install Dictators to rule over them... sorta a rule of human nature, don't 'cha know....)
So, yeah... we've been screwing up in the region for a lot longer then 'since 1979'. |
