Useful Fools

When George Bush designated three nations as members of the “Axis of Evil,” he was derided for his terminology - especially by those who don’t acknowledge the existence of evil, or are uncomfortable with the term.

Today, it is ever more clear that the designation is correct. The three countries were Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

That each of these nations has an evil government is hard to deny. Saddam Hussein’s evil hardly needs documentation. That his regime is evil is beyond doubt.

“Dear Leader” Kim Jong Il’s regime has starved at least one million of its citizens while maintaining an offensive army of over a million. It has tortured and executed repatriated refugees. It has kidnapped Japanese and South Koreans, and engaged in numerous terrorist acts and military provocations against the South. Clearly it is an evil regime.

Iran is run by fanatic Islamists. The regime is the greatest supporter of terrorism in the world. It kills internal dissenters, and it has advocated the nuclear destruction of Israel. Obviously this is an evil regime.

There are many evil nations in the world. Not all present a threat to the United States or western democracy in general. The nations were labeled “an axis” because they all present a serious threat to the United states. What they have in common is the intent to develop weapons of mass destruction, and evil governments that cannot be trusted with such weapons.

Iraq has chemical and biological weapons. It may have a nuclear program. It has a history of cooperating with terrorists, and of using its chemical weapons.

Iran is within two years of producing nuclear weapons, which they might use, as Rafsanjani advocates, to destroy Israel, sacrificing millions of their own citizens for this insane goal.

North Korea has an active nuclear program, and also a well advanced program to produce ICBM’s with the range to hit the US. They are believed to already have a couple of nuclear weapons, and have been working for many years to produce more.

Clearly we are at a time of great danger.

From a millitary standpoing, the world is a “target rich environment.”