20060112
       Yesterday, I posted my opinion that threatened Western sanctions against Iran were not the way to deal with Iran’s violation of its international agreements with regards to its nuclear program. An offline response suggested to me that perhaps my post came across as suggesting that we should do nothing in the interim, so I thought it appropriate to refine my position.
         Iran is already under international sanction, and has been so since the Islamic revolution of 1979. These sanctions have not deterred or lessened Iran’s actions over the years. The nation was able to generate sufficient funds to liberally support most of the major terrorist groups in Palestine, including Hezbollah in Jordan and Islamic Jihad, both financially and with weapons and materiel. During this same period, in spite of sanctions, Iran developed and engaged in the production of a nuclear program.
         It is unlikely, then, that Iran will react to or even acknowledge new sanctions, especially considering that those sanctions will not have universal world support. The West- the US, Britain, Germany, France, etc- will try to enforce those sanctions, while the East- Russia, China, Pakistan, and India- will thwart them. Further, as has been evidenced by the Oil for Food scandal, even the West’s own businesses and industries will tacitly violate the sanctions for profit.
         So, sanctions become a word game of ‘we’ve done something’ designed to sate the world, meanwhile Iran goes on as before, developing nuclear technology and, ultimately, nuclear weapons as it has done up to this point in the face of the West’s impotent rhetoric. Sometimes the act of ‘doing something’ can be more dangerous than doing nothing when it convinces people they are safer and they are really not.
         What is the solution instead? Simply, the West must deliver Iran a clear ultimatum, backed by the unquestioned threat of the use of force. This ultimatum must be delivered with the buildup of Western military forces in the region, so that there can be no question as to whether this ultimatum is serious.
DLH
We can’t handle IRAQ, IRAN and N. Korea by ourselves and we would be by ourselves. We need to finish IRAQ and pick our next foe…..
That may be, but Iran is not waiting for us to finish in Iraq to build nukes. Sometimes, we just have to go with what we’re given. Even if the rest of the world stands by, Iran must be stopped.
DLH
I recently read an interesting opinion that theorized that Saudi Arabia should be more concerned about Iran’s nukes than Israel. It had something to do with the whole Sunni vs. Shi’a thing, as well as the fact that if Iran were to nuke an Israeli city, it would take out a few hundred thousand Palestinians.
And as we all know, the Middle Eastern Muslim community is all about the noble and oppressed Palestinians.
All the more reason we should 1- nuke Iran til they glow, 2- build a car that runs on cow dung or something, and 3- nuke Saudi Arabia until it glows.
But that’s just my opinion.
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