Iran to share nuclear technology
With whom? Does it matter? Sure, especially when another Madman of Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, makes this provocative announcement in the Sudan (think Darfur, think al Qaeda -- not good). Said Khamenei: "Iran's nuclear capability is one example of various scientific capabilities in the country. The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to transfer the experience, knowledge and technology of its scientists."
Is this just more Ahmadmaninejad-like bluster "ahead of the Friday deadline by the United Nations Security Council for Iran to suspend its sensitive uranium enrichment activities"? Perhaps. Is it just more leverage to bring to the bargaining table? Perhaps. More, is Iran serious that it will hide its nuclear program in the event of sanctions or strikes? Perhaps (although much of it is no doubt already hidden from the prying eyes of the IAEA and foreign intelligence services).
Bluster it may be, but it cannot be ignored. If Iran's looking to make a deal, it'll want a lot in return for abandoning its nuclear aspirations. If it's not, how are we to deal with its hidden nuclear program? And, beyond that, if this latest threat is real, how are we to deal with, say, a nuclear Sudan?
Is this just more Ahmadmaninejad-like bluster "ahead of the Friday deadline by the United Nations Security Council for Iran to suspend its sensitive uranium enrichment activities"? Perhaps. Is it just more leverage to bring to the bargaining table? Perhaps. More, is Iran serious that it will hide its nuclear program in the event of sanctions or strikes? Perhaps (although much of it is no doubt already hidden from the prying eyes of the IAEA and foreign intelligence services).
Bluster it may be, but it cannot be ignored. If Iran's looking to make a deal, it'll want a lot in return for abandoning its nuclear aspirations. If it's not, how are we to deal with its hidden nuclear program? And, beyond that, if this latest threat is real, how are we to deal with, say, a nuclear Sudan?
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
7:32 AM
2 Comments:
The international community is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Iran will not give up their aspirations for sure, and if they hide their nuclear program nothing can stop them from sharing the technology without noticing. Can they be stopped somehow? Is there no choice other than war? What if we dare the experiment to fully allow them to develop nuclear technology without any obligations except signing the treaty with IAEA? No, I do not trust them at all, but even the smallest degree of control is far better than no control at all, isn't it. Interestingly other nations with nuclear power (notably Pakistan, India and Israel) have developed nuclear weapons and did not agree to the non-proliferation treaty with the international community. Where has been the excitement when they announced the "bomb"?
By
Anonymous, at 4:52 PM
I'm not concerned at all about the threat of them sharing their technology. Even if they shared it with the Sudanese, it'd be well over a decade before they could do anything with it.
The Iranians themselves are a concern, but they want the bomb mainly as a way to gain respect. They see us meeting with North Korean officials while they're ignored. They know why that happens. Yet if I were an Israeli, I'd still be nervous if they do finish building one.
Ahmadinejad is calculating (and most people seem to think he's right) that if he provokes us into striking the nuclear facilities, the support for his anti-America, anti-Israel blathering will grow and he'll be more securely entrenched in power once they actually do have nuclear capabilities.
At this point, we have to negotiate with them. There are no real good solutions, but we have to start the process while we can still do things on our terms. Once they actually have a bomb, that's not as easy, as we know from North Korea.
If the perfect solution to this problem exists, I haven't seen it yet...
By
thehim, at 6:59 PM
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