According to London’s Guardian newspaper, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is in the process of purging political opponents from the Iranian government:

Iran is facing political paralysis as its newly elected president purges government institutions, bringing accusations that he is undertaking a coup d’etat.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s clearout of his opponents began last month but is more sweeping than previously understood and has reached almost every branch of government, the Guardian has learned. Dozens of deputy ministers have been sacked this month in several government departments, as well the heads of the state insurance and privatisation organisations. [...]

Ahmadinejad took power in Iran in what some described as a flawed election where certain reform candidates—and all women—were barred from running for office. After Ahmadinejad’s election, several newspapers were shut down when it became known that they would print a critical letter from a reform candidate who had earlier lost to Ahmadinejad.

Known as a hard-line Islamist, Ahmadinejad is believed to be one of the terrorists responsible for the hostage crisis that consumed the final 15 months of the Carter Administration. Some of the 52 American hostages that were held in Iran for 444 days are “convinced” that Ahmadinejad was one of the leaders who orchestrated the holding of the hostages. More recently, Ahmadinejad has been making news by saying that Israel “must be wiped out.” Of course, like any good Jihadist, Ahmadinejad didn’t stop there. Here are some other choice quotes:

“And God willing, with the force of God behind it, we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism.”

[T]he “new wave of confrontations generated in Palestine and the growing turmoil in the Islamic world would in no time wipe Israel away.”

“[Any country that] recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation’s fury.”

Sounds like a pretty reasonable guy, right?

These recent developments are quite disconcerting in a country with very active nuclear ambitions. And it raises an interesting question for the peace-at-all-costs crowd. Their entire ideology is based on the mistaken notion that everybody behaves in a way that we would find rational. If a terrorist running a country in the process of enriching radioactive uranium turns out to be someone who can’t be reasoned with, what is the proposed solution? How do you broker a deal?

If you’re Israel—certainly under more immediate threat from Iran than the U.S. is—what concessions could you possibly make to satisfy an enemy that seeks no less than your complete destruction? Such threats from Iran don’t seem to leave much room for a face-saving compromise that would leave all parties smiling and shaking hands at a bargaining table. And even if you could arrange a deal, would it be wise to trust someone who uses this sort of apocalyptic rhetoric? History is littered with dupes who tried to make peace with aggressors hell-bent on war. It rarely worked out well for the dupes.

So, if there are any anti-war activists out there who truly believe the slogan “war is never the answer,” kindly send me an e-mail and explain how war can be avoided if a nuclear-armed Iran decides to launch a few missiles at Tel Aviv. What would you pacifists suggest if Iranian warheads start raining down on Israel—or on us? Peace is only possible when no parties want war. As soon as there’s one that does, you’re pretty much screwed.