This will be cross-posted on my blog, Want Some Wood (wantsomewood.blogspot.com).
By the way, I know that this is a more hawkish stance on Iran than is accepted by some DailyKos users, but I have to be true to what I believe. In any event, if you actually read it, I think you'll find it comes down more on the dove side of things.
Also, as I write this, I'm glad to see that the most recent news on the negotiations front is good.
I believe that Iran's acquisition of nuclear
technology is a grave threat to world peace. The rest
of the world, including the United States, has every
right and reason to be concerned about it. It is
naive to believe that the Iranian government wants
nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
Having said that, I am adamantly opposed to an
American pre-emptive war against Iran, especially a
nuclear one. Such an action would cost countless
lives, and would endanger many more, including those
of our own troops in nearby Iraq and Afghanistan. A
war would have little chance of doing more than
delaying Iranian nuclear weapons, and would give the
Iranian government more reason to develop those
weapons. What remains of international good will
towards the U. S. would be destroyed, and the U. S.
would be plunged into another war it barely has the
resources to fight, given the commitments it has
already. The only way to solve the Iranian nuclear
problem is through diplomacy, diplomatic isolation,
and, if necessary, sanctions.
Ultimately, there may be little that the rest of the
world can do to stop the Iranians from acquiring
nuclear weapons. Should this happen, I think we
should deal with it the same way we dealt with the
Soviet Union having nuclear weapons--with deterrence,
with support for dissidents within Iran, and
ultimately through patience and negotiations.
Thank you very much for taking my views into account
on this issue.