« previous | TPM CAFÉ READER POSTS HOME | next »
Iran Ups The Nuclear Ante
This week's most under-reported story is Iran's pledge to "share their nuclear experience with Syria". This is not a vague promise to be delivered in the future. They plan to start this transfer of knowledge in July.
This story underscores the danger of a nuclear-enriching Iran. We're talking about rapid proliferation to other countries in the region. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan are all now talking about their own nuclear programs, and we can assume Libya will jump back in -- not to be left behind. Given the political realities in that region, this is an ominous turn of events.
Iran, no doubt, will tie strings to their support for a Syrian nuclear program, and that means absolutely no peace deals with Israel.
What is clear is that the current sanctions and diplomatic pressure put on Iran is not working. The international community has a window of time here to decide whether a nuclear arms race in the Middle East is good for peace and stability in the world. It's going to take tough action to force Iran to back down. Given the tepid int'l response so far and dubious support for sanctions by Russia and China, the situation is not hopeful. Iran's autocratic government doesn't have to worry about their own domestic economic meltdown. There are no internal brakes on their behavior, and they clearly believe there will be no serious consequences they can't manage. The Iranian problem is going to be the most important foreign policy issue to resolve for the next President. Let's hope and pray we make the right decisions to diffuse this situation.
Comments (7)
Care to provide a link to your source of information. Since you did use quote marks, then you must provide us with your source.
June 20, 2008 9:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
well done. point of order, sir.
June 20, 2008 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
I just spent some google-time trying to trace this "story". The only places I find it referenced are right-wing websites (mainly religious right). They all attribute the original story to DEBKAfile. The following is from Wikipedia's article on DEBKAfile:
DEBKAfile (Hebrew: תיקדבקה) is an Israeli, Jerusalem-based English language open source military intelligence website with commentary and analyses on terrorism, intelligence, security, and military and political affairs in the Middle East.
It began in the summer of 2000, and is operated from the Jerusalem home of veteran journalists Giora Shamis and Diane Shalem. It has been awarded Forbes' Best of The Web award. Forbes identifies the best part of the website as being its archives, but decries the fact that "most of the information is attributed to unidentified sources."
Debka has been criticized as a fringe outfit catering to conspiracy theorists. Yediot Achronot's investigative reporter Ronen Bergman claims that the site relies on information from sources with an agenda, such as the rightist elements of the American Republican Party, and that Israeli intelligence officials do not consider even 10 percent of the site's content to be reliable.
June 20, 2008 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Any thoughts to share with us on Pakistan, a far more serious - and already well-documented - proliferator?
Or are you just here shilling for dropping more bombs?
June 20, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you have squarely nailed BrookD. See my comment above in reply to SPQR.
June 20, 2008 1:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not nailed at all tarleton. For those paying attention, Ayatollah Khaemini has repeatedly pledged to share Iran's nuclear knowledge with Islamic countries. His Syrian ambassador has confirmed the offer to Syria. Iran is publicly telling the world their goal is proliferation. Are we listening, or do we want to keep trying to give the benefit of the doubt to a blood-soaked regime that has repeatedly lied to the int'l community in the past?
June 20, 2008 2:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
no one is talking about dropping bombs. I said we needed to get tough with Iran. Firm int'l resolve could force a change in Iran's position, without a shot being fired.
Pakistan has not officially pledged to share nuclear technology with the rest of the Islamic world. Iran has done this repeatedly.
However, an unstable Pakistan with nukes is worry enough for all of us. Do we want another unstable country with nukes?
June 20, 2008 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Post a Comment