The situation in Iran continues to grow worse as the presidential election in the Unites States progresses. In the past few days, we have seen Republican candidate Mitt Romney call Iran the biggest national security threat to the U.S. President Barack Obama announced new sanctions on international banks dealing with Iran. And Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, along with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, stated military actions are not out of the question in dealing with Iran and could take place sooner rather than later. All of this in spite of the reality there is no proof yet of an Iranian nuclear weapons program.
The scary part of unconventional weapons, of course, is if someone were to have them and actually use them. It’s one thing to have them as a threat as many countries around the world possess nuclear weapons but have not used them in warfare. It’s an entirely different and heinous act to use these weapons in warfare and know they will have long term effects on the area, particularly if it is a civilian area like a large city. We have seen many ruthless leaders denounced for these actions over the course of history and should expect only the highest amount of responsibility when they are used by “peaceful” nations.
That being said, why is the U.S. so terrified about a nuclear armed Iran? Because the U.S. clearly knows the effects of unconventional weapons as it has apparently very recently continued their use.
Many who followed the Iraq War are familiar with the city of Fallujah and the fierce fighting that took place in 2004. What we don’t know is the type of weaponry used by the U.S. when shelling the city. Some clues are beginning to emerge as to what may have been used: uranium laced ammunition. Aljazeera reported on the aftereffects of the fighting and a curious trend has been increasing as birth defects have risen to alarming levels. Some studies are stating the number of defects has reached “five times the international norm” and radiation levels in Fallujah are also high.
Which brings us back to the situation with Iran. The United States is very concerned about the proliferation of nuclear weapons and they should be. No one wants to see the use of these weapons and no one wants to be a part of the aftermath of destruction they leave behind. However, the hypocrisy of the U.S. position is obvious. If the United States government does not want unconventional weapons used on anyone in times of warfare, the work clearly need to begin at home and a long, hard look must be taken as to the U.S. willingness to use chemical and biological weapons.
Sparking The Left 