Gen. Abizaid on Iran

Abizaid: World could abide nuclear Iran

"Iran is not a suicide nation," he said. "I mean, they may have some people in charge that don't appear to be rational, but I doubt that the Iranians intend to attack us with a nuclear weapon."

"I believe that we have the power to deter Iran, should it become nuclear,"

"There are ways to live with a nuclear Iran,"

"Let's face it, we lived with a nuclear Soviet Union, we've lived with a nuclear China, and we're living with (other) nuclear powers as well."

Abizaid stressed the dangers of allowing more and more nations to build a nuclear arsenal. And while he said it is likely that Iran will make a technological breakthrough to obtain a nuclear bomb, "it's not inevitable."

"War, in the state-to-state sense, in that part of the region would be devastating for everybody, and we should avoid it — in my mind — to every extent that we can," he said. "On the other hand, we can't allow the Iranians to continue to push in ways that are injurious to our vital interests."

"I believe the United States, with our great military power, can contain Iran — that the United States can deliver clear messages to the Iranians that makes it clear to them that while they may develop one or two nuclear weapons they'll never be able to compete with us in our true military might and power," he said.

He described Iran's government as reckless, with ambitions to dominate the Middle East.

"We need to press the international community as hard as we possibly can, and the Iranians, to cease and desist on the development of a nuclear weapon and we should not preclude any option that we may have to deal with it," he said. He then added his remark about finding ways to live with a nuclear-armed Iran.

My first little point...was the headline chosen well from the variety of quotes they had?

After reading all of his quotes, I almost wonder what the General is saying here - I mean how many qualifiers (both ways!) can we get about Iran? Bottom line is we should be able to deal with a nuclear armed Iran. I agree with him there.

Then again, this is the guy who was part of the brilliant counter-insurgency plan of holing up our forces in huge bases instead of small outposts in the community, because our troops were "anti-bodies" and thus let things get really out of control. I want to read more about him, before placing blame though - 20/20 hindsight and all. I do wonder if people were blinded by his Arabic skills - a case of "he speaks the language, so he must know what he's doing."

I do like this little blurb at the bottom, too.

The U.S. cut diplomatic relations with Iran shortly after the 1979 storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Although both nations have made public and private attempts to improve relations, the Bush administration labeled Iran part of an "axis of evil," and Iranian leaders still refer to the United States as the Great Satan.