The Iranian Spiderweb

By Marc Schulman
AMERICAN FUTURE

'For the Islamic fundamentalists, democratic reform is like toilet paper. You use it once and then you throw it away.'

So said a Jordanian intelligence officer to Ted Koppel, whose op-ed appears in today's New York Times. (Subscription needed.)

The intelligence officer had much to say about Iran:

During the past two months, Hamas has received more than $300 million from Iran, funneled through Syria.

Iran is reminding America's traditional allies in the region that the United States has a track record of leaving its friends in the lurch — in Vietnam in the 70's, in Lebanon in the 80's, in Somalia in the 90's.

The U.S. must confront Iran in Iraq by increasing its troop levels.

Koppel's conclusion:

Are the Israelis over-reacting in Lebanon? Perhaps they simply perceive their enemies' intentions with greater clarity than most. It is not the Lebanese who make the Israelis nervous, nor even Hezbollah. It is the puppet-masters in Tehran capitalizing on every opportunity that democratic reform presents. In the Palestinian territories, in Lebanon, in Egypt, should President Hosni Mubarak be so incautious as to hold a free election, it is the Islamists who benefit the most."

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