Those of us watching the carnage in Iran are overwhelmed by the courage and commitment of the Iranian people. I
t’s natural for Americans to conclude that the world’s most powerful country can and should tilt the balance in favor of democratic protesters.
Our history, however, militates against greater involvement. We overthrew the elected nationalist Mossadegh in 1953. (Those who would give the British credit/blame should consult Kermit Roosevelt) We supported the Iraqis during the Iran-Iraq war.
Any greater involvement will simply give the regime the weapons to portray the democracy movement as a foreign conspiracy, a message which will resonate in many Iranian ears. Republicans demanding covert operations and financial support for internal opponents haven’t thought the matter through, or don’t really care about Iran. One suspects that many Republicans treat this as an opportunity to thump chests and prove that they are real Americans and we are not.
Those of us more concerned about the real Iranians and their struggle for freedom will have to hope that our government shows the restraint they have so far. I guess this is what we get for electing a functional, educated adult to the Presidency.
