How many people are surprised that Iranians are selling weapons to Iraqis?

Question

http://abcnews.go.com/International/IraqCoverage/story?id=2688501

Can anyone who follows this war, the problems in the Middle East, and the already declared intention of ruin to free countries by Iran, honestly say this is a surprise? We are dealing with an entire world area that hates our way of life and everything we stand for. To express sudden outrage of Iran's deceptiveness seems a little ridiculous. Did we trust them before we found this out? No. Did we always know they were capable of this and probably already doing it? Yes. The trading/selling of weapons and training of terrorists going on between those countries in the Middle East that hate us never ceases. Outraged I can understand, but I've been outraged for years now at the duplicity of the countries in the Middle East. These exchanges between principals in that cauldron happen every day. This sort of stuff is so obvious we could have been asking yesterday what should be done about it. Thoughts?

Just to clarify, I am not saying we shouldn't be outraged, just that our outrage shouldn't have to wait for stories like this to break when we know this crap is going on already. That doesn't make it okay, and it doesn't make it unactionable. I also did NOT say we shouldn't do anything about it. I just find it annoying that when a story like this breaks, people react to it like it's some huge surprise and not par for the course over in the Middle East.

And actually Alex, I agree with you totally in everything you said. No thumbs down from me tonight.

Answer 1

I agree that this is obvious. Iraq was probably the hegemon in the Middle East before the US invasion, though Iran had already been clamoring for increased power and influence in the region. Now that Iraq has fallen into great turmoil, Iran now has an opportunity to increase its influence and establish itself as the leading Muslim nation, much as the US is considered the leading democratic nation. Iran has much to gain from a destabilized Iraq, and is thus contributing to the violence through weapons sales.

Answer 2

The story of the Middle East reads like a very bad novel. Iran had a democratically elected leader in 1952, and the CIA removed him ( see link below ) and put in the Shah, our puppet who tyranized the people until he was overthrown by the people of Iran in 79. They don't like us much for that. We supported, armed, and trained Saddam and his people who tyranized the people of Iraq for decades. We do it in Pakistan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, and Turkey, and the people on the street hate us for it. That we are now doing it again in Iraq should be no surprise to anyone who knows the history of our involvement in the region. Nor should anyone be surprised that it is being done in return to us now. We sell weapons to anyone and everyone all the time, and it is often the case our troops are killed by those same weapons. Should we really be surprised that Iran would sell arms to the resistance in Iraq? If we honestly want fair play and honorable dealings in that region, we must start with ourselves as one of the worst offenders. If we wish to be viewed as good and honorable people, we have to insist that our government behave that way. But if we are ready to say it is ok to go around toppling elected governments, supporting brutal dictators, bribing countries, and selling weapons to people like Saddam who used them to attack Iran, etc., how can we possibly be surprised when they turn around and do the same to us?

Answer 3

What outrages me is that our soldiers are being killed because Iran is supplying them weapons, hot off the lines. If this doesn't make Iran responsible for their deaths, I don't know what does. Here is an analogy that I compare it to. Someone tells me they are going to rob a bank. So I say cool, here's my gun you can use, and a coupla bullets too, if you like. I'd be arrested along side them, no doubt.

Oh yeah, and lets not forget that not only are they selling arms to terrorists, they are trying to get nukes. How much of a threat is that? Well, it seems to be pretty scary to me at least. I just think they'd sell them to terrorists in a heart beat. Whatever, everyone hates my opinions, but there it is, feel free to give me a thumbs down. I'm getting used to it...

Answer 4

Iran could take over Iraq and gain control over the gulf oil, if this happens Saudi Arabia and Chavez will join them, there by giving Iran control of world oil supplies and prices. We must win in Iraq.

Answer 5

so we just let them do whatever they want? do you have any idea that if they control the middle eastern oil we loose all our military power. you have to have gas to wage war. what is your plan then? we leave them alone or fight these are the two options. you like to blame and complain but you have no way to fix it.

edit : this is true but some people (not mentioning any names) say there is no reason to be there and we should just leave. they cant see the ramifications. So it wasnt handled right and your mad. good maybe your right but that doesnt change the fact that the middle east needs to be dealt with and right now we have a foothold in it. we leave and we dont. The hitler of iran is going to spread his empire and is going to cause mass genocide. the age of technology started with hitler and you see what kind of destruction he caused. things have gotten worse and somebody like him now can destroy the entire world. You cant wait any more it will be to late.

Answer 6

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SUPRISED ISRAEL IS SELLING WEAPONS TO CHINA, A SOON TO BE ENEMY OF AMERICA, SHOULD THIS BE HAPPENING OF THE NUMBER ONE GREAT FRIEND AND ALLY TO AMERICANS. THEN CHINA MERELY SELLS THESE AND OTHER SOPHISTICATED WEAPONS TO IRAN, SO THE US AND ITS ALLIES ARE THE BIGGEST ARM SUPPLIERS AND DEALERS IN THE WORLD AND YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BIAS IN FOCUSING ON PARTICULAR NATIONS AND THEIR DEALING. A GREATER PORTION OF THE AMERICAN AND ISRAELI ECONOMIES ARE DEPENDENT ON ARMS SALES, WHICH THEY SOMETIMES EVEN SELL TO THEIR ENEMIES. DURING THE NICARAGUAN WARS AND THE CONTRA SCANDAL THE US SOLD MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF WEAPONS TO THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN. IRAN IS BEING MORE SENSIBLE IN MERELY SELLING IT TO ITS NEIGHBOR.Maybe the US and Israel should stop stock pilling the entire world of Class 1 military arms and stop threatening everybody and threby reuding the escalation of militarism. Go learn some history, Us and colonial imperials resulted in the volatility in the Middle East. Not Iran, Iran used to rules like less than even 30 years ago by the US puppet government of the Shah. Wouldn't you hate a country that ruled your economics politics and way of life, ofcourse you would. Perhaps the Iranian people are merely being sensible and should and have reason to fear that the US is yet again plotting to install in its continuing trend of dominating other nations with suppresive governments for its own capitalist selfish benefits.

Answer 7

I know what you mean..anyone could have seen this coming.
The white house will not be able to get any political miles off of it either.
EDIT:
It all goes back to this fundamental reality Americans would not be dying by those weapons if Bush did not have them setting up a quasi Puppet/oil government to begin with.

Answer 8

No, it's not really a surprise.

Answer 9

To those that think this is nothing, ask the troops that are there. I know, I know, they shouldn't be there, but guess what? THEY ARE!