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Monday, January 9, 2012
Strait Hormuz- Is This Where our military is heading?
Bloomberg: In this article, Iran is discussed as to their next move regarding what will happen if economic embargoes are imposed upon them. Do you think it is in our national interest to become involved in this?
Iran is an animal trapped in a corner that will do anything they can to escape, and the closer we trap them the more dramatic and extreme they will get. i do not think we should get involved in any major way, but also we cant let them block the straight of Hormuz due to how a fifth of the worlds oil is shipped out from there. if we could lend support to Israelis, who are planning a unilateral strike against Iran. if Israel attacks Iran's nuclear plants that they want to do it would put American soldiers at risk during retaliation practically forcing us to go to war with Iran. the hope is that Israel wont bomb Iran unless they get the Green light from America. the attempts of nuclear bombs have been putting pressure on the world leaders because of Iran's situation. I don't think this would be beneficial for us American's we need to focus on our finances and dept, and getting into an other war would be counter-productive. we should lend support on the effort to re-open the Straight of Hormuz but not be directly involved. -Brian McLaurin
Brian has very good points, and I also agree with him. America has already been involved in so many other things that have lead us, (Americans) in money issues, and losing loved ones that are in war. Why would we pull so many troops out of war then put them in a more endangered risk. The U.S does need to focus on our finances and more of the issues that we have instead of helping another country out. As Brian says "we should lend support on the effort to re-open the Straight of Hormuz but not be directly involved" is a good idea, but I think in some way, we would end up being involved so it is either to help or not to help. Plus I think getting involved with another countries issue, doesn't mean we need to always step in and help. We have issues of our own that the U.S needs to focus more on. -Vivian Kattell
I agree with brain when he states, "Iran is animal trapped in a corner that will do anything they can to escape, and the closer we trap them the more dramatic and extremer they will get." But i disagree with him when he says we should not get involved in a major way. I believe we need to get involved in a major way because of the amount of oil that Iran exports. It is stated in the article that, "Iran threatened last month to shut the strait of Hormuz, a transit point for a fifth of oil traded worldwide..." We cannot have Iran shut this strait down because of how much oil it is sending to the world. Oil is a very important part of our day to day lives and if we could not recieve it from Iran they price would significanlty increase and oil would grow more scarce in our country. Iran has also started to enrich uranium at the Fordo production facility, which is also a major export that we would be lacking if the strait was shut down. Although i do not support getting involved in other countries own problems, this is a very important event that i believe we need to step into and stop before the strait is shut down. This issue is very important and we should deal with this immediately and make sure the situation is under control.
I agree with many of the points that Brian makes, and I especially like his analogy about Iran being “trapped in a corner.” This seems very true, as we can see from their previous actions. Iran seems to be afraid of the United States getting involved, and threatens to pull out nuclear weapons. Personally, I can’t decide whether we should get completely involved in the situation or not. I feel as though it is in global interest to get involved if Iran does pull out nuclear weapons, as this can be dangerous, and could go as far as causing another World War. It is incredible to me that 1/5th of the world’s crude oil is shipped from the Strait of Hormuz. It would be detrimental to many nations’ economies around the world if Iran cut off their ability to export oil, import oil, and trade other goods through that body of water. On the other hand, I would not like to see the United States be a “global police” anymore. I feel that we feel obligated to help countries that have internal struggles and vicious dictators. As much as I like to see us help other countries, we need to first help ourselves, just like Brian said. I agree with the statement in the article said by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, “While the U.S. shouldn’t “take any option off the table, “Panetta said “the responsible thing to do right now is to keep putting diplomatic and economic pressure on them to force them to do the right thing, and to make sure that they do not make the decision to proceed with the development of a nuclear weapon.” When I asked my parents for their opinion of the situation, they also had the same reaction. I don’t think many Americans want to see us get “too” deeply involved, for none of us want more disagreements, economic debt, and lives taken by impulsive violence. Continually putting pressure on them to do the right thing seems to be the best course of action at the moment.
Iran has been in the news lately, and is gaining attention of many countries. Currently, Iran is talking about their ability to block the Strait of Hormuz. I agree with Brian when he says “we should lend support on the effort to re-open the Straight of Hormuz but not be directly involved.” Instead of the United States getting directly involved, it would be in our best interest to keep an eye on what Israel is doing. According to the article, if Israel chooses to take military action against Iran, then the United States is involved because we would need to protect our troops in that area. Our country has already “tightened economic sanctions against Iran,” (Kathleen Hunter and Viola Gienger) and has been observing the situation. Now, it is time to turn our attention to what Israel is doing while still observing Iran, especially because blocking the Strait of Hormuz would cut off a fifth of the worlds oil supply. The United States needs to find the thin line between helping to open the Strait of Hormuz and not getting directly involved.
I also agree with Brian when he states, “we should lend support on the effort to re-open the Straight of Hormuz but not be directly involved.” But my question to that is, if you lend support, how would we not be directly involved? Even if we send the littlest donation to help re-open the straight, wouldn't we be directly involved? Knowing how dependent the United States is on oil, it is almost impossible for us not to get involved in this situation if the Straight of Hormuz is indeed shut down. I like Kaitlyn's point where she says we no longer need to be the "World Police". I would also like for us to stop being the "World Police", but again, knowing how dependent this country is on oil, we will be sucked into this mess, right back into the middle east where we just took our troops out of. General Martin Dempsey says,“My responsibility is to encourage the right degree of planning, to understand the risks associated with any kind of military option.” Knowing that we are going to get involved in this situation, I believe the military needs to know exactly what type of options they have, and need to start planning for when we do indeed send our troops back to the middle east and set up camp in Iran.
I also agree with what brain said about Iran being “trapped in a corner”. In the article It seemed as though Iran is very afraid of the US getting involved in this situation. So much so that they threatened to use nuclear weapons against the U.S. This speaks very strongly toward the fact that they are scared and are in a corner and will do anything to get out. However I think it is essential that the US gets involved. The main reason is because if Iran closes the straight of Hormuz than the United States will be directly affected. In the article it stated that “1/5 of the worlds crude oil is shipped through the straight of Hormuz”. With Oil in the world at such a high demand it is curtail the United States not let Iran close it. However the US will need to take into consideration iran threatened the US with nuclear weapons. Although Iran may be bluffing nuclear weapons are nothing to take a gamble on. The US will need to take a step back and weight the risk and the rewards and see if it would even be worth the risk to get involved.I would not suggest the United States get involved if this were not a worldwide issue that directly affects us, but because we would be affected in is essential that we step in and make sure the situation is under control.
I strongly agree with the points made my Peter and Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn wrote, "It would be detrimental to many nations’ economies around the world if Iran cut off their ability to export oil, import oil, and trade other goods through that body of water. On the other hand, I would not like to see the United States be a “global police” anymore." I too would like to see the U.S. step down from their "almighty pedestal." Sometimes i believe that because of the United States' reputation for having such an advanced structure in our economy (although maybe not now), our government, and other aspects, I feel that we often take advantage of this by influencing and even manipulating other countries and their governments into doing as we say and listening to what we feel is best for us which might also be what we feel is best for the world. So instead of being known as the "World's Police," -credit to kaitlyn- I believe it would be nice to give it a rest. The problem with this specific Iran scenario is, the U.S. is absolutely no ifs, ands, or buts, dependent on oil. As I quickly digress I for one believe our country is beyond the point of helplessly dependent on oil, specifically foreign oil where once oil supplies run low to dry, the U.S. will have a very rude awakening. But that's besides the point. What I was saying was, the strait of Hormuz is an extremely important oil access route for transporting exported oil to foreign countries from the Middle East. If we don't want to hurt our own economy let alone the world's, I agree that we must get involved. The strait is just simply too vital a passage for the world to lose its availability for oil transportation. What makes the situation even more difficult is the current struggle with Iran's nuclear threats and our constant pressure on their banking systems. We are in very dangerous waters right now and I don't believe the U.S. can afford to be involved with yet another war after just having troops pulled from Iraq. -Credit to Kaitlyn and Peter again- The quote Peter took from the article is very powerful and in my opinion, probably the most important part of the entire article and situation taking place with Iran. General Martin Dempsey says,“My responsibility is to encourage the right degree of planning, to understand the risks associated with any kind of military option.” I think this is extremely critical to not overlook. Going along with the importance of the situation, and potential danger it brings, Dempsey is 100% correct in saying we must plan and understand the risks and benefits associated with any military action. So I guess my answer to the question would be yes, it is in our national interest to get involved, but I am having trouble seeing the problem being solved without work being shown or having to make corrections. -Connor Cinque
If the US wants to continue our relations with Israel, then yes, we need to send our troops to Iran and put strict military restrictions on their movements. When Dempsey says "My responsibility is to encourage the right degree of planning..." he is correct to say we need to make the right plans and do the right thing and be careful not to ruin our opportunities with foreign diplomats. If we send military power to Iran, we have to make sure we know what is going on. We cannot be in the dark if we do intervene. Catherine Hall
"Continued pressure, rather than threats of air strikes, is the best way to forestall Iran from developing nuclear weapons", Panetta said. While the U.S. shouldn’t “take any option off the table,“Panetta said “the responsible thing to do right now is to keep putting diplomatic and economic pressure on them to force them to do the right thing, and to make sure that they do not make the decision to proceed with the development of a nuclear weapon.” I agree this is probbebly the best course of action as of right now. We need to take all the precautions neccesary in order to avoid war with Iran. If Iran is to develope these weapons the US is left with little choice on waht to do. I also agree with what was stated earlier on the effects this embargo may have on other nations. The amount of oil that would be lost would have detrimental impacts to other countries who depend on Iran for this recourse. There is alot of risk involved with this situation and the propper amount of planning is need to make the right choice. Unfortunetly we can only wait and hope Iran makes the right choice before we need to make more severe action. -Jake Kittredge
I completely agree with Brian in the saying, "trapped in a corner". Iran is on there heels but they are very stubborn. They're looking for things to get upset about and will freak out at the slightest wrong doing. I believe getting involved is wrong for two reasons. It further encourages conflicts and we need to prioritize. We don't want to continue these conflicts in the Middle East and getting directly involved in this would only complicate things more. We need to ease our way out of the system and put pressure on them rather than threats as stated in the article. "U.S. sanctions imposed last year seek to cut off dealings with Iran’s banking system, making it difficult for consumers to buy the country’s oil." This is a good idea because it sends a message while being peaceful. Also, we need to prioritize. We have many greater issues at hand that must be dealt with before we go and start another conflict. Take care of business in the homeland and then take care of business across the pond. -Brandon "Lenny" Len
Brian makes a few very good points in his arguement and also i like his analogy when he says that iran is "trapped in a corner". i also agree with him and many others in the fact that we as the US should not get completely involved in the issues with Iran and Israel. Also i strongly agree with Kaitlyn who wrote, "It would be detrimental to many nations’ economies around the world if Iran cut off their ability to export oil, import oil, and trade other goods through that body of water. On the other hand, I would not like to see the United States be a “global police” anymore." I too would like to see the U.S. step down from their "almighty pedestal." this is an extremely good point made my Kaitlyn, we as the US should try to back off of all of the issues of other countries and focus on the issues that are facing our own economy and military powers. if we get involved with Iran, accourding to Iran, we will end up going to war with them. But as many have said, we should help with keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, which exports one fifth of the worlds oil suppy. The US and courtries around the world cannot afford to lose 1/5 of our oil supply. if we did, prices for oil would skyrocket and further hurt our economy.The US should help with keeping the Strait of Hormuz open but not get fully involved with the threatened country of Iran. -Ben Polio
It is important to note two additional important factors:
1. The US is imposing economic sanctions against Iran as a result of their nuclear development efforts.
2. The portion of the strait which is typically navigated by ships is owned by Iran, however, maritime law typically allows for uninterrupted traffic.
More information here: http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-strait-hormuz-163507039.html http://strait-of-hormuz.com/content/view/3/4/
Iran can certainly exert their national interests and push back on International laws and accepted practices, but this comes at a price.
The US and many western countries do not trust Iran to act responsibly with nuclear weapons which is why the economic sanctions were imposed. If Iran chooses to block the straits, the US, other Western Countries, Israel, and others in the region will likely react to protect their interests.
I believe the US should continue to use diplomacy and economic leverage where possible. However, if Iran blocks the straits I hope we will collaborate with Israel to pull-back and protect our troops and not interfere with any military actions that Israel chooses to implement.
Longer-term, we should increase our national focus on developing and using alternative energies, and encourage economic interests to build the pipelines necessary to route oil across other land masses to reduce dependence on the strait.
Iran has the power to do great damage to our country’s economy, so I absolutely believe that it is in our national interest to become involved with this. The issue with the Straight of Hormuz is very delicate, and therefore must be handled in a very delicate manner. I fully agree with Brian when he says “Iran is an animal trapped in a corner that will do anything they can to escape, and the closer we trap them the more dramatic and extreme they will get.” It’s important for our country to ensure that the Straight of Hormuz is not blocked off; we need that transit point to import our oil, as do many other countries, and so we must work together to find a solution to this dangerous issue. Putting more soldiers at risk of course isn’t in our national interest, but some degree of involvement is necessary in this issue if we don’t want our economy to be damaged further. I also agree with Geekdaddy’s point, when he stated “I believe the US should continue to use diplomacy and economic leverage where possible.” It’s very important not to make Iran feel like we’re threatening them, and to get what we want (the Straight of Hormuz open as a transit point for international trade), we have to use subtle pressure on Iran, and avoid any actions that may be perceived as aggressive or dangerous towards their country.
Iran's threat to close the Strait is understandable because when confronted so aggressively by a powerful nation a natural response is one of irrational and desperate behavior. The details on whether or not Iran is developing nuclear weapons are not plentiful nor entirely credible. So our involvement should be determined by the known facts. Iran and the United States have a bad relationship even with Obama's original efforts of diplomacy. The United States gets very involved with threats of nuclear weapons because we are one of the few nations to possess such power and advantage over others. Granted developing nuclear weapons does not suggest any kind of peaceful future actions. Having the technology and nuclear weapons gives the United States a lot of credibility as a nation to listen to. Iran developing nuclear weapons is a scary thought to the United States because of our poor relationship. Iran definitely dislikes the United States and especially because of our good relations with Israel, a country Iran would like to wipe off the map. I understand the United States interest to be so heavily involved in the conflict. The way the United States deals with the threat is crucial. I completely agree with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta when he says: “the responsible thing to do right now is to keep putting diplomatic and economic pressure on them to force them to do the right thing, and to make sure that they do not make the decision to proceed with the development of a nuclear weapon.” I believe that any threat of violence or military action would provoke an even more desperate and rebellious response from Iran. Through Iran's economy and diplomacy, the United States should try to convince Iran to cease the development. Brian is right when he states that: “Iran is an animal trapped in a corner that will do anything they can to escape, and the closer we trap them the more dramatic and extreme they will get.” The United States can have this an an interest as long as the pressure comes through the economy and diplomacy
Iran is an animal trapped in a corner that will do anything they can to escape, and the closer we trap them the more dramatic and extreme they will get. i do not think we should get involved in any major way, but also we cant let them block the straight of Hormuz due to how a fifth of the worlds oil is shipped out from there. if we could lend support to Israelis, who are planning a unilateral strike against Iran. if Israel attacks Iran's nuclear plants that they want to do it would put American soldiers at risk during retaliation practically forcing us to go to war with Iran. the hope is that Israel wont bomb Iran unless they get the Green light from America. the attempts of nuclear bombs have been putting pressure on the world leaders because of Iran's situation. I don't think this would be beneficial for us American's we need to focus on our finances and dept, and getting into an other war would be counter-productive. we should lend support on the effort to re-open the Straight of Hormuz but not be directly involved. -Brian McLaurin
ReplyDeleteBrian has very good points, and I also agree with him. America has already been involved in so many other things that have lead us, (Americans) in money issues, and losing loved ones that are in war. Why would we pull so many troops out of war then put them in a more endangered risk. The U.S does need to focus on our finances and more of the issues that we have instead of helping another country out. As Brian says "we should lend support on the effort to re-open the Straight of Hormuz but not be directly involved" is a good idea, but I think in some way, we would end up being involved so it is either to help or not to help. Plus I think getting involved with another countries issue, doesn't mean we need to always step in and help. We have issues of our own that the U.S needs to focus more on.
ReplyDelete-Vivian Kattell
Denny Dessureault
ReplyDeleteI agree with brain when he states, "Iran is animal trapped in a corner that will do anything they can to escape, and the closer we trap them the more dramatic and extremer they will get." But i disagree with him when he says we should not get involved in a major way. I believe we need to get involved in a major way because of the amount of oil that Iran exports. It is stated in the article that, "Iran threatened last month to shut the strait of Hormuz, a transit point for a fifth of oil traded worldwide..." We cannot have Iran shut this strait down because of how much oil it is sending to the world. Oil is a very important part of our day to day lives and if we could not recieve it from Iran they price would significanlty increase and oil would grow more scarce in our country. Iran has also started to enrich uranium at the Fordo production facility, which is also a major export that we would be lacking if the strait was shut down. Although i do not support getting involved in other countries own problems, this is a very important event that i believe we need to step into and stop before the strait is shut down. This issue is very important and we should deal with this immediately and make sure the situation is under control.
I agree with many of the points that Brian makes, and I especially like his analogy about Iran being “trapped in a corner.” This seems very true, as we can see from their previous actions. Iran seems to be afraid of the United States getting involved, and threatens to pull out nuclear weapons. Personally, I can’t decide whether we should get completely involved in the situation or not. I feel as though it is in global interest to get involved if Iran does pull out nuclear weapons, as this can be dangerous, and could go as far as causing another World War. It is incredible to me that 1/5th of the world’s crude oil is shipped from the Strait of Hormuz. It would be detrimental to many nations’ economies around the world if Iran cut off their ability to export oil, import oil, and trade other goods through that body of water. On the other hand, I would not like to see the United States be a “global police” anymore. I feel that we feel obligated to help countries that have internal struggles and vicious dictators. As much as I like to see us help other countries, we need to first help ourselves, just like Brian said. I agree with the statement in the article said by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, “While the U.S. shouldn’t “take any option off the table, “Panetta said “the responsible thing to do right now is to keep putting diplomatic and economic pressure on them to force them to do the right thing, and to make sure that they do not make the decision to proceed with the development of a nuclear weapon.” When I asked my parents for their opinion of the situation, they also had the same reaction. I don’t think many Americans want to see us get “too” deeply involved, for none of us want more disagreements, economic debt, and lives taken by impulsive violence. Continually putting pressure on them to do the right thing seems to be the best course of action at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIran has been in the news lately, and is gaining attention of many countries. Currently, Iran is talking about their ability to block the Strait of Hormuz. I agree with Brian when he says “we should lend support on the effort to re-open the Straight of Hormuz but not be directly involved.” Instead of the United States getting directly involved, it would be in our best interest to keep an eye on what Israel is doing. According to the article, if Israel chooses to take military action against Iran, then the United States is involved because we would need to protect our troops in that area. Our country has already “tightened economic sanctions against Iran,” (Kathleen Hunter and Viola Gienger) and has been observing the situation. Now, it is time to turn our attention to what Israel is doing while still observing Iran, especially because blocking the Strait of Hormuz would cut off a fifth of the worlds oil supply. The United States needs to find the thin line between helping to open the Strait of Hormuz and not getting directly involved.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Brian when he states, “we should lend support on the effort to re-open the Straight of Hormuz but not be directly involved.” But my question to that is, if you lend support, how would we not be directly involved? Even if we send the littlest donation to help re-open the straight, wouldn't we be directly involved? Knowing how dependent the United States is on oil, it is almost impossible for us not to get involved in this situation if the Straight of Hormuz is indeed shut down. I like Kaitlyn's point where she says we no longer need to be the "World Police". I would also like for us to stop being the "World Police", but again, knowing how dependent this country is on oil, we will be sucked into this mess, right back into the middle east where we just took our troops out of. General Martin Dempsey says,“My responsibility is to encourage the right degree of planning, to understand the risks associated with any kind of military option.” Knowing that we are going to get involved in this situation, I believe the military needs to know exactly what type of options they have, and need to start planning for when we do indeed send our troops back to the middle east and set up camp in Iran.
ReplyDeleteJake Kennedy
ReplyDeleteI also agree with what brain said about Iran being “trapped in a corner”. In the article It seemed as though Iran is very afraid of the US getting involved in this situation. So much so that they threatened to use nuclear weapons against the U.S. This speaks very strongly toward the fact that they are scared and are in a corner and will do anything to get out. However I think it is essential that the US gets involved. The main reason is because if Iran closes the straight of Hormuz than the United States will be directly affected. In the article it stated that “1/5 of the worlds crude oil is shipped through the straight of Hormuz”. With Oil in the world at such a high demand it is curtail the United States not let Iran close it. However the US will need to take into consideration iran threatened the US with nuclear weapons. Although Iran may be bluffing nuclear weapons are nothing to take a gamble on. The US will need to take a step back and weight the risk and the rewards and see if it would even be worth the risk to get involved.I would not suggest the United States get involved if this were not a worldwide issue that directly affects us, but because we would be affected in is essential that we step in and make sure the situation is under control.
I strongly agree with the points made my Peter and Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn wrote, "It would be detrimental to many nations’ economies around the world if Iran cut off their ability to export oil, import oil, and trade other goods through that body of water. On the other hand, I would not like to see the United States be a “global police” anymore." I too would like to see the U.S. step down from their "almighty pedestal." Sometimes i believe that because of the United States' reputation for having such an advanced structure in our economy (although maybe not now), our government, and other aspects, I feel that we often take advantage of this by influencing and even manipulating other countries and their governments into doing as we say and listening to what we feel is best for us which might also be what we feel is best for the world. So instead of being known as the "World's Police," -credit to kaitlyn- I believe it would be nice to give it a rest. The problem with this specific Iran scenario is, the U.S. is absolutely no ifs, ands, or buts, dependent on oil. As I quickly digress I for one believe our country is beyond the point of helplessly dependent on oil, specifically foreign oil where once oil supplies run low to dry, the U.S. will have a very rude awakening. But that's besides the point. What I was saying was, the strait of Hormuz is an extremely important oil access route for transporting exported oil to foreign countries from the Middle East. If we don't want to hurt our own economy let alone the world's, I agree that we must get involved. The strait is just simply too vital a passage for the world to lose its availability for oil transportation. What makes the situation even more difficult is the current struggle with Iran's nuclear threats and our constant pressure on their banking systems. We are in very dangerous waters right now and I don't believe the U.S. can afford to be involved with yet another war after just having troops pulled from Iraq. -Credit to Kaitlyn and Peter again- The quote Peter took from the article is very powerful and in my opinion, probably the most important part of the entire article and situation taking place with Iran. General Martin Dempsey says,“My responsibility is to encourage the right degree of planning, to understand the risks associated with any kind of military option.” I think this is extremely critical to not overlook. Going along with the importance of the situation, and potential danger it brings, Dempsey is 100% correct in saying we must plan and understand the risks and benefits associated with any military action. So I guess my answer to the question would be yes, it is in our national interest to get involved, but I am having trouble seeing the problem being solved without work being shown or having to make corrections. -Connor Cinque
ReplyDeleteIf the US wants to continue our relations with Israel, then yes, we need to send our troops to Iran and put strict military restrictions on their movements. When Dempsey says "My responsibility is to encourage the right degree of planning..." he is correct to say we need to make the right plans and do the right thing and be careful not to ruin our opportunities with foreign diplomats. If we send military power to Iran, we have to make sure we know what is going on. We cannot be in the dark if we do intervene.
ReplyDeleteCatherine Hall
"Continued pressure, rather than threats of air strikes, is the best way to forestall Iran from developing nuclear weapons", Panetta said. While the U.S. shouldn’t “take any option off the table,“Panetta said “the responsible thing to do right now is to keep putting diplomatic and economic pressure on them to force them to do the right thing, and to make sure that they do not make the decision to proceed with the development of a nuclear weapon.” I agree this is probbebly the best course of action as of right now. We need to take all the precautions neccesary in order to avoid war with Iran. If Iran is to develope these weapons the US is left with little choice on waht to do. I also agree with what was stated earlier on the effects this embargo may have on other nations. The amount of oil that would be lost would have detrimental impacts to other countries who depend on Iran for this recourse. There is alot of risk involved with this situation and the propper amount of planning is need to make the right choice. Unfortunetly we can only wait and hope Iran makes the right choice before we need to make more severe action.
ReplyDelete-Jake Kittredge
You are all making some good points. Can't wait to see what other students write!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Brian in the saying, "trapped in a corner". Iran is on there heels but they are very stubborn. They're looking for things to get upset about and will freak out at the slightest wrong doing. I believe getting involved is wrong for two reasons. It further encourages conflicts and we need to prioritize. We don't want to continue these conflicts in the Middle East and getting directly involved in this would only complicate things more. We need to ease our way out of the system and put pressure on them rather than threats as stated in the article. "U.S. sanctions imposed last year seek to cut off dealings with Iran’s banking system, making it difficult for consumers to buy the country’s oil." This is a good idea because it sends a message while being peaceful. Also, we need to prioritize. We have many greater issues at hand that must be dealt with before we go and start another conflict. Take care of business in the homeland and then take care of business across the pond.
ReplyDelete-Brandon "Lenny" Len
Brian makes a few very good points in his arguement and also i like his analogy when he says that iran is "trapped in a corner". i also agree with him and many others in the fact that we as the US should not get completely involved in the issues with Iran and Israel. Also i strongly agree with Kaitlyn who wrote, "It would be detrimental to many nations’ economies around the world if Iran cut off their ability to export oil, import oil, and trade other goods through that body of water. On the other hand, I would not like to see the United States be a “global police” anymore." I too would like to see the U.S. step down from their "almighty pedestal." this is an extremely good point made my Kaitlyn, we as the US should try to back off of all of the issues of other countries and focus on the issues that are facing our own economy and military powers. if we get involved with Iran, accourding to Iran, we will end up going to war with them. But as many have said, we should help with keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, which exports one fifth of the worlds oil suppy. The US and courtries around the world cannot afford to lose 1/5 of our oil supply. if we did, prices for oil would skyrocket and further hurt our economy.The US should help with keeping the Strait of Hormuz open but not get fully involved with the threatened country of Iran. -Ben Polio
ReplyDeleteIt is important to note two additional important factors:
ReplyDelete1. The US is imposing economic sanctions against Iran as a result of their nuclear development efforts.
2. The portion of the strait which is typically navigated by ships is owned by Iran, however, maritime law typically allows for uninterrupted traffic.
More information here:
http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-strait-hormuz-163507039.html
http://strait-of-hormuz.com/content/view/3/4/
Iran can certainly exert their national interests and push back on International laws and accepted practices, but this comes at a price.
The US and many western countries do not trust Iran to act responsibly with nuclear weapons which is why the economic sanctions were imposed. If Iran chooses to block the straits, the US, other Western Countries, Israel, and others in the region will likely react to protect their interests.
I believe the US should continue to use diplomacy and economic leverage where possible. However, if Iran blocks the straits I hope we will collaborate with Israel to pull-back and protect our troops and not interfere with any military actions that Israel chooses to implement.
Longer-term, we should increase our national focus on developing and using alternative energies, and encourage economic interests to build the pipelines necessary to route oil across other land masses to reduce dependence on the strait.
Geekdaddy! Thanks for contributing and taking an interest in these articles. It's great to see you so involved in these discussions.
DeleteIran has the power to do great damage to our country’s economy, so I absolutely believe that it is in our national interest to become involved with this. The issue with the Straight of Hormuz is very delicate, and therefore must be handled in a very delicate manner. I fully agree with Brian when he says “Iran is an animal trapped in a corner that will do anything they can to escape, and the closer we trap them the more dramatic and extreme they will get.” It’s important for our country to ensure that the Straight of Hormuz is not blocked off; we need that transit point to import our oil, as do many other countries, and so we must work together to find a solution to this dangerous issue. Putting more soldiers at risk of course isn’t in our national interest, but some degree of involvement is necessary in this issue if we don’t want our economy to be damaged further. I also agree with Geekdaddy’s point, when he stated “I believe the US should continue to use diplomacy and economic leverage where possible.” It’s very important not to make Iran feel like we’re threatening them, and to get what we want (the Straight of Hormuz open as a transit point for international trade), we have to use subtle pressure on Iran, and avoid any actions that may be perceived as aggressive or dangerous towards their country.
ReplyDeleteIran's threat to close the Strait is understandable because when confronted so aggressively by a powerful nation a natural response is one of irrational and desperate behavior. The details on whether or not Iran is developing nuclear weapons are not plentiful nor entirely credible. So our involvement should be determined by the known facts. Iran and the United States have a bad relationship even with Obama's original efforts of diplomacy. The United States gets very involved with threats of nuclear weapons because we are one of the few nations to possess such power and advantage over others. Granted developing nuclear weapons does not suggest any kind of peaceful future actions. Having the technology and nuclear weapons gives the United States a lot of credibility as a nation to listen to. Iran developing nuclear weapons is a scary thought to the United States because of our poor relationship. Iran definitely dislikes the United States and especially because of our good relations with Israel, a country Iran would like to wipe off the map. I understand the United States interest to be so heavily involved in the conflict. The way the United States deals with the threat is crucial. I completely agree with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta when he says: “the responsible thing to do right now is to keep putting diplomatic and economic pressure on them to force them to do the right thing, and to make sure that they do not make the decision to proceed with the development of a nuclear weapon.” I believe that any threat of violence or military action would provoke an even more desperate and rebellious response from Iran. Through Iran's economy and diplomacy, the United States should try to convince Iran to cease the development. Brian is right when he states that: “Iran is an animal trapped in a corner that will do anything they can to escape, and the closer we trap them the more dramatic and extreme they will get.” The United States can have this an an interest as long as the pressure comes through the economy and diplomacy
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