II. Background Information about Iran
A. The United States and Iran have developed a tumultuous relationship with each other over the past half-century; the American government helped the Shah overthrow a commonly elected government in order to maintain desirable instability in the region that would enable the United States to exert power and influence over the entire region.
B. The Shah's exile paved the road for religious fundamentalism to take root deeply in Iran. Religious fundamentalism continues to plague the United States and is one of the reasons why terrorism is rampant.
III. Why it would be unwise to invade Iran now.
A. The war in Iraq is costing a fortune in money and lost lives and the United States needs to clean up its mess there before moving on anywhere else, regardless of whether or not it should...
Even if the United States was justified in invading Iran, it should not do so any time soon for several reasons:
1. Military confidence in American foreign policy is eroding fast because of the weak track record and prolonged fighting in Iraq.
2. Military spending is currently too high to be warranted and attention must be paid to domestic matters such as health care and education.
3. Enough lives have been lost and money spent in Iraq; another war would be ridiculous foreign policy now.
4. Furthermore, the United States has minimal support from other nations and would do better to improve its reputation as a bastion of freedom and democracy; because of the invasion of Iraq, the United States is viewed by many in the international community as a bully and an imperialist nation.
