How do you fight a suicidal nation

Double Tapper is a blogger who is not afraid to tackle the big issues or fears telling it like it is. This piece is scary in its conclusions but well worth a read. It includes some quotations from Iranian leaders that illustrate what the problem is:

'"We have a strategy drawn up for the destruction of Anglo-Saxon civilization... we must make use of everything we have at hand to strike at this front by means of our suicide operations or by means of our missiles." - Hassan Abbasi, "strategic adviser" to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

"We are in the process of an historical war between the World of Arrogance [the West] and the Islamic world, and this war has been going on for hundreds of years... Is it possible for us to witness a world without America and Zionism? ...you had best know that this... goal [is] attainable." - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

"Our revolution's main mission is to pave the way for the reappearance of the 12th Imam, the Mahdi." - Mahmoud Ahmanutjob

"Is there art that is more beautiful, more divine, and more eternal than the art of martyrdom? A nation with martyrdom knows no captivity." - Same nutjob

And then some decent analysis of which this is just one extract:

'How do we fight a nation that is hell-bent on destroying you, at all costs? How to you deter such a nation when that very deterrence is seen as the ultimate reward? How do you frighten a person who spends each day conjuring up the scariest Armageddon scenarios and gleefully pursues them?

First, let's think about how you don't fight them: you don't 'engage' them. You don't talk to them. You don't deter them. MAD worked fine during the cold war against the evil (but quite sane) Soviet Empire. It is not relevant here. Similarly, the Samson Option is also not a valid military strategy. The Samson Option is a theoretical doctrine (not officially adopted by the Israeli government) that brings down the house around the Philistines, and in effect wipes out the country that destroyed you with a second strike capability. The Samson Option is not a viable military strategy as while it may provide some satisfaction to the surviving three submarine crews, it does nothing for the victims of the nuclear holocaust.'

Do read the whole piece but it won't be a cheering experience.