George Bush can do the world a big favor. Let Israel do Iran!

Or should Ariel Sharon simply wait for disaster, culminating in beautiful obituaries at the UN and sanctions placed on the Tehran regime? The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khameni has officially declared war on Israel through his use of serious verbal threats and direct funding for the Hezbollah/Hamas terrorist organizations.

The reticence of democracies to declare preemptive wars unless they have been seriously attacked, plays well into the hands of al Qaeda operatives and the Saddams of the world (no linkage). Waiting for a September 11th style event to occur, or a nation like Kuwait to be raped and pillaged, is a mistake of immense proportions.

Unfortunately, it was an American president who was instrumental in resisting military action, thereby cultivating this terrorist monster. Jimmy Carter, peanut farmer extraordinaire and most likely the worst president in American history, allowed Iran to fall into evil hands after the American embassy takeover and kidnappings of 1979. Thus President Carter became the greatest contributor to 9/11 sans Osama bin Laden.

After amputating the first leg of the "axis of evil" in Iraq (the Baathe Party), gangrene has spread throughout the second leg, conveniently located right next door. With almost 150,000 troops ready, willing and able to "operate," the scalpel should be passed to Israel, whose particular specialty has been excising military enemy cancers in the region.

The secret to the enduring Palestinian situation is that they are not a state, and thus cannot be dealt with in the appropriate, harsh manner. Once they become a duly recognized member of the UN, they would certainly go the way of Egypt, Syria and Jordan on the battlefield, should the situation warrant it. Arafat understood this quite well, which is the primary reason he rejected Barak's offer outright.

The messy aftermath in Iraq will not follow an Israeli victory over Iran. The Iranian populace has a particular warmth for Western democracy. In addition, the 1967 and 1973 wars clearly showed that humiliation by a tiny Jewish state is a vital part of a true victory. Otherwise, Abu Ghraib-type propaganda will be used to cloud the situation.

The Iranian army can easily defeat eight British soldiers with pistols in a small boat that veers off course. What a great Islamic triumph, capturing non combative soldiers, blindfolding them and creating a false international incident for Arab/Muslim media consumption. Let's see what those tough Iranians do when Jews show up with F-16's.

Iran is a terrorist organization with a flag and an example of virtually everything that could possibly be wrong with a government--totalitarian, autocratic, religious, fundamentalist and a tyranny over its populace. Why would a religious leadership express such hatred for Israel and America, while announcing that they would "happily be willing to exchange the nuclear deaths of 100 million Muslims for the 5 million Jews in Israel?"

Under the Koran, once a place has instituted Muslim sovereignty, which the Jewish state had experienced for a brief time in history, it can never lose Muslim sovereignty. Muslim hatred is based solely upon the reality of strong and successful Christians/Jews, a fact of life which disturbs and humiliates Islam. Allah cannot possibly permit the infidels to succeed over religious Muslims. Iranian fundamentalists have severe Jew and Christian hang-ups, which reinforce the idea that American and Israeli power somehow invalidates Islam.

The rhetoric of a "nuclear free Middle East" simply means a Middle East free of Israel. The recent diatribes by Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi about Israel's nuclear weapons are living proof that his country clearly understands that one wrong step against Israel and Tehran could glow in the dark for many years to come.

Today, the battle for Western civilization is largely being fought in the Middle East. The world is divided into three groups. Those who would like Israel destroyed. Those who support nations (directly or indirectly), that want Israel destroyed. And the United States of America.

Prime Minister Sharon must announce immediately that Israel "does not need a permission slip from anyone...except the United States." Israel's previous victories coupled with the American experience in Afghanistan and Iraq are part of a developing new strategy. If all these valuable lessons are employed militarily, change throughout the Middle East is imminent.

The only serious problem remaining will be, "What the heck to do with Europe and Scandinavia?"

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Irwin N. Graulich is a well known motivational speaker on morality, ethics, religion and politics. He is also President and CEO of a leading marketing, branding and communications company in New York City. He can be reached at irwin.graulich@verizon.net