Brzezinski on Iran

Okay, here's another must-read, an op-ed in the L.A. Times by former national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. He gives "four compelling reasons against a preventive air attack on Iranian nuclear facilities". Essentially, "an attack on Iran would be an act of political folly, setting in motion a progressive upheaval in world affairs".

Make sure to read the whole piece, but two passages stand out for me:

-- "There is unintended irony in a situation in which the outrageous language of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (whose powers are much more limited than his title implies) helps to justify threats by administration figures, which in turn help Ahmadinejad to exploit his intransigence further, gaining more fervent domestic support for himself as well as for the Iranian nuclear program."

-- "For now, our choice is either to be stampeded into a reckless adventure profoundly damaging to long-term U.S. national interests or to become serious about giving negotiations with Iran a genuine chance. The mullahs were on the skids several years ago but were given a new burst of life by the intensifying confrontation with the United States. Our strategic goal, pursued by real negotiations and not by posturing, should be to separate Iranian nationalism from religious fundamentalism. Treating Iran with respect and within a historical perspective would help to advance that objective. American policy should not be swayed by the current contrived atmosphere of urgency ominously reminiscent of what preceded the misguided intervention in Iraq."

The problem is, it is being so swayed by many of the same warmongering policymakers who dreamed up the Iraq War. How exactly do we get around that problem?