﻿﻿ Trump must never listen to Bolton | Pakistan Today

Trump must never listen to Bolton

  • But Iran must change its behaviour too

Waging a war against Iran, or even thinking of doing so, is sheer madness. US President Donald Trump has thus far wisely rejected the outrageous advice of the warmonger National Security Advisor John Bolton. Waging another war in the Mideast, this time against Iran, would have not only disastrous consequences for the USA but will also engulf our allies, from which they would suffer incalculable human losses and destruction. Bolton was the architect behind the devastating war in Iraq in 2003, which inflicted more than 5,000 US casualties and a cost exceeding $2 trillion, allowed Iran to entrench itself in Iraq, and gave way to the rise of ISIS.

The Iraq war would be child’s play compared to a war against Iran, who will put up a fight, far worse than all of the wars in the Middle East since 1948 combined. Much of the Middle East will be in flames. US casualties will be many times that of the Iraq war.

Trump must not engage the USA in another war in the Middle East. We have and continue to pay dearly for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and we are still fighting the latter

Trump should never listen to Bolton, who is being strongly influenced by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman and Israeli PM Benyamin Netanyahu, who seem to encourage him to attack Iran. They are dangerous men, and want to prevail over Iran at the expense of the USA by dragging it into an unwinnable war. No matter how much death and destruction Iran will suffer, it will be there to stay. To think that regime change in Iran, as Bolton and Pompeo continue to advocate, will usher in a democracy is an illusion that will never materialize.

The US efforts to establish democracies in Egypt and Libya in the wake of the Arab Spring offer glaring examples of the USA’s dismal failure. To resolve the conflict with Iran by toppling the clergy though the use of force is not the answer. Iran technically will lose such a war, but that in no way guarantees that regime change and democracy will follow. The answer lies through negotiation and only negotiation, until all conflicting issues that separate the US and its allies from Iran are settled peacefully.

Israel’s and Saudi Arabia’s concerns that if Iran acquired a nuclear weapon, it would severely compromise their national security is exaggerated at best and unfounded at worst. Even if Iran acquires such weapons, Tehran will not use them preemptively or in retaliation to a conventional attack on its nuclear facilities and high-value military assets. If Iran is actively seeking nuclear weapons, it is doing so strictly for defensive purposes, just like Israel, Pakistan, North Korea, and India.





There is no better or more urgent time than now for the EU to interject itself in an effort to ameliorate the growing tension between the USA and Iran. The EU should initiate behind-the-scenes negotiations with Iran and agree with the USA on a joint cohesive strategic plan to mitigate the conflict with Iran. The new negotiations should be based on quid pro quo, aiming to achieve a comprehensive deal in stages that could lead to a permanent solution.




Trump must not engage the USA in another war in the Middle East. We have and continue to pay dearly for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and we are still fighting the latter. Of all the promises that Trump made in his campaign for the Presidency, preventing another war is the one promise he must keep.

Dr Alon Ben-Meir
