President Bush in his January 2002 State of the Union address, labeled North Korea, Iran, and Iraq the “Axis of Evil” for their role in sponsoring global terrorism. Iraq is now a young democracy after the U.S. invasion which topped Saddam. Now with the recent mass protests in Iran, are we about to witness a revolution unfold before our eyes? And if so, what happens afterward?
It’s entirely possible and plausible that the Axis of Evil reduced to just one rogue, isolated nation in Asia: North Korea. Lately the communist country has been living up to its “evil” reputation by conducting missile and nuclear tests, blatantly violating U.N. Security Council resolutions and ignoring warnings from the international community. The spotlight is now on Iran, however, as civilians amass on the streets to protest what they believe to be fraudulent presidential election results. Can these young, freedom loving Iranians force the hands of the clerical leaders and in turn, seat moderate Mousavi as president and depose Ahmadinejad?
The world is watching the incredible events unravel before our TVs and computer screens. Many have said that this will be a Twitter Revolution, even though the regime has tried hard to restrict all forms of communication. Today the Basij opened fire on the protesters. Many have been injured, a few have died. But the demonstrations continue, seemingly to gain more momentum within Iran and internationally as each day passes.
President Bush was steadfast in winning the war in Iraq. The war was much more than destroying Saddam’s tyranny and liberating Iraqis. It was part of a grand strategy to sow the seeds of freedom and democracy in the region known for hostility and bondage. That seed’s been planted, and perhaps Iran, one of Iraq’s neighbors, saw its steady growth to a tree and longed for the shade as well. After all, if the Iraqis could do it, why couldn’t Iranians?
I believe the world is more than ready to welcome a free Iran. We already know the will of the people. What about its leaders?
