Reflection time

GOVERNMENTS in the US have rarely reflected on follies they have committed beyond their borders. Failed nation-building experiments and military misadventures by both Republican and Democrat administrations have not led to internal reflection on these misguided policies. But the Iran debacle should lead to some sort of reckoning, considering that America has been unable to achieve any of its objectives in the war, and may have actually helped give Iran the upper hand in the region — just as it did with the removal of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Of course, the current US president is not known for soul-searching and deep contemplation over foreign policy choices. Donald Trump prefers to think aloud, especially on social media. This has disastrous implications. For instance, at the recent negotiations in Switzerland, the Iranians boycotted the session after Mr Trump tweeted fresh threats. If talks are to succeed, the American leader must desist from issuing expletive-laden threats on social media, and let diplomacy take its course. Within America, the Iran war is deeply unpopular. The US Senate on Tuesday passed a largely symbolic resolution calling for an end to the war, which was supported by at least four Republicans. Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, has called the Iran war “Trump’s historic blunder”, while numerous opinion polls show that most Americans want the war to end. Some Iran hawks in Washington are also of the view that the MoU currently under discussion is a ‘victory’ for Iran. Certainly, as compared to past American misadventures, such as the Iraq war where the US put boots on the ground to occupy a sovereign country, the Iran campaign has failed on nearly all fronts. In fact, where the MoU is concerned, Tehran has managed to secure most of its demands in the document, while also exercising greater control over the Strait of Hormuz. There needs to be greater discussion within the US establishment about the mistakes Washington has made with reg