Written by Diana Robinson-Bardyn   

Now, it has been admitted. There is nothing more that can be done about Syria. Why? Because Syria has the protection of Russia and China. This protection is not new nor was it ever lacking. In fact, there never was any reason to expect any other outcome, and the wrath of the Syrian people is as much against the western powers for encouraging their suicidal resistance as it is against the Russians and the Chinese for their vetoes of the UN resolution.

But, there is a much more important illumination here. We see it when we shine the light back through the history of nuclear proliferation, and we see it when we turn that same light to our future with a nuclear Iran.

Nuclear proliferation really began with India. In the midst of the cold war, India moved ahead with its nuclear program by playing the superpowers off against one and other. As India entered the nuclear age, Pakistan had no choice but to play the same game and follow India into the nuclear age. One interesting thing happened. After entering the nuclear age, India and Pakistan no longer were the subject of serious threats of western or eastern aggressions. That could start a nuclear war.

Then, as other nations (Iraq, Libya, Iran, and North Korea) began to consider pursuing nuclear weapons, threats and sanctions were waged against these nations in an effort to convince them of their folly. Two nations relented and two nations persisted. The results are in. The nations that gave up the pursuit of nuclear weapons (Iraq and Libya) were invaded and their leaders killed. The nations that have continued to pursue nuclear weapons (North Korea and Iran) are now essentially secure against the western powers. Additionally, established rogue nuclear nations also largely are immune from serious attempts to destabilize them, since both western and eastern nations fear the uncertainty associated with the disbursement of those nuclear weapons. So, what reasons exist for the leaders of North Korea and Iran to give up their nuclear programs? Clearly, no reasons that can counter the recent fates of the leaders of compliant nations (Iraq and Libya). While Iran may not yet have nuclear weapons, Russia and China continue to protect Iran, so nuclear weapons are a foregone conclusion.

So, just as the natterings of the western powers about the right of the Syrian people to “democracy” have now been seen as the sheer puffery that Syria, Russia, and China always knew them to be, so the western posturing against Iran also will evaporate in the light of Russian and Chinese support for Iran.

As chilling as these realities may be, it is in the application of these realities to the potential confrontation between Israel and Iran over the Iranian nuclear program that things come to a focal point that is very disturbing. Any attack by Israel against Iran would trigger the treaty between Iran and Syria. A war with Israel is just what the Syrian leaders need to divert the rebel movement. And, if Israel is attacked by Syria and Iran in retaliation for Israel attacking Iran, then what of the superpowers? Do the western powers back Israel and do the eastern powers back Iran and Syria? And, what of Hezbollah, Lebanon, and the rest of the Arab world?

Cross posted from Bluetabletalk.com with the permission of the author)By Gardner | Blue Table Talkhttp://www.bluetabletalk.com/2012/02/15/syria-iran-israel-and-a-web-of-dangerous-liaisons/