[Mb-civic] NYTimes.com Article: Editorial: Iran's Nuclear Threat

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Editorial: Iran's Nuclear Threat

October 22, 2004
 


 

One of the most serious questions raised by the debacle in
Iraq is whether it has crippled the ability of the world's
leading powers to contain dangerous states. Iran's nuclear
program is a prime case in point: so far, neither threats
nor inducements have persuaded its leaders to suspend their
uranium enrichment program. 

According to a stark assessment by the International
Institute of Strategic Studies, based in London, Iran and
North Korea, the other nuclear rebel, have been emboldened
in their ambitions by the sorry plight of the United States
and its coalition partners in Iraq. The perception is that
the major powers no longer have the stomach, or the unity,
to seriously threaten sanctions or military action.
Nonetheless, the three main European powers - Britain,
Germany and France - are trying one more time to reach a
diplomatic agreement with Iran, and the United States is
wisely keeping out of the way. 

The issue is sufficiently fateful to warrant another round
of diplomacy. But if this effort fails, it will be time to
try a more punitive approach. At a meeting in Vienna, the
Europeans told the Iranians that if they abandoned uranium
enrichment, the Europeans would supply them with fuel for
nuclear power reactors and trade. If the Iranians say no,
the Europeans are likely to join the United States in
seeking tough U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran.
The Iranians did not respond immediately - with less than
two weeks until the United States' elections, nobody
expected them to. 

What is critical is for the winner of the presidential
race, and for the three European nations, to make it
urgently and abundantly clear to Iran's president, Mohammad
Khatami, and his mullahs that the West will brook no
further delays, and that it is serious and united about
imposing stern sanctions if Iran won't abandon its nuclear
fuel enrichment efforts. Iran has already broken one deal
with the Europeans, and it has drawn sharp criticism from
the International Atomic Energy Agency. 

If the ruling mullahs continue to sense indecision and
disunity in the West, they will surely continue with their
program. The result would be a disaster. Joschka Fischer,
Germany's foreign minister and a strong proponent of
diplomacy, warned earlier this week that a nuclear Iran
could set off a Middle Eastern arms race. And North Korea
would see no reason to abandon its weapons. 

A strong signal that the Europeans are ready to get tough
is also vital for another reason. After the mess caused by
going it alone in Iraq, Washington may now be more willing
to return to multilateral methods of combating nuclear
proliferation, but only if it is convinced that the
Europeans are capable of waving a stick as well as a
carrot. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/22/opinion/22fri1.html?ex=1099496837&ei=1&en=09278feb0852d9de


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