COVERITLIVE.COM

12:56

Philly.com - Welcome to today's chat with Inquirer columnist Trudy Rubin. She will be joining us at 1 p.m. to discuss the latest events in Iran, but feel free to submit your questions and comments now.

1:02	[Comment From Down in the Basement] Is the West going to denuke Iran or will the USA and Europe allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons? Will Israel attack Iran as they attacked Osirak back in 1981...helping make the West safe from Saddam's nukes?

1:05

Trudy Rubin - I don't think the administration or the US military want to attack Iran. (Israel may indeed want to do so, but would have to fly over airspace controlled byNATO or the United States, or Arab countries to do so).
The conundrum of course is what is plan B, if as is likely, the Iranians keep building centrifuges. My guess is that - failing a shift in Iranian position, or a shift in government structure due to the current turmoil, we will seek tighter sanctions and try to contain an Iran that has nuclear potential but won't actually weaponize.

1:06

[Comment From oldcitymatt]
There seems to be a difference in strategy between Obama and Republican leaders. Republicans (McCain) feel he should strongly and openly denounce the events and take it the next step at the expense of "meddling" accusations. Obama seems to want to let the government implode on its own volition while just stating that violence is terribly inappropriate. What is the better move here?

1:10

Trudy Rubin - McCain-style rhetoric will do nothing to help the Iranian opposition, and in fact would hurt it. There is nothing we can do physically (what does he want - send in the marines? bomb Khamenei?). The outcome of such rhetoric would only be to give the regime the excuse to arrest and try opposition leaders - and it would kill an hopes for a spliti n the military and in the poitical and clericalelite.

1:10	[Comment From Jake] What do you think the outcome will be with the current crisis? More restrictions made by the clerics or is there enough opposition with the protestors to not be put down?

1:13

Trudy Rubin - The outcome in the short term will probably be the strengthening of the military, which backs Khamenei and Ahmadinejad. But the legitimacy of the Islamic system will be undermined, and if the killing continues, there may be splits in the military, the Revolutionary Guards, and there might be wider protests from senior clerics in Qom.

1:13	[Comment From kingfishtown] Why is the US involved in IRANIAN affairs?

1:15

Trudy Rubin - The United States is not involved in Iran's domestic affairs. However, the world is involved i Iran's external affairs because it is illicitly working on weapons' prgrams to develop nuclear capacity which would set off an arms race in the entire region. The UN has voted sanctions on Iran for ths reason. And a regime that kills its own peaceful people is less likely to abide by international or UN rules.

Page 1 Next >