Throughout the entirety of his presidency to date, Barack Obama has made a strong vocal contribution to the condemnation of Iran's nuclear energy program. Both the president and the International Atomic Energy Agency have called for Iran to cooperate and show full transparency involving its accelerating nuclear program, but to no avail. Despite repeated deadlines for Iran to cease its uranium enrichments, allow access to all nuclear plants, and negotiate sale of some nuclear material to other countries, Iran continues to ignore the statements of the international community.
As of this Sunday, Ahmadinejad has endorsed a plan to build at least 10 more nuclear enrichment facilities and obtain at least 500,000 more centrifuges. The fact that all of Iran's uranium has so far only been enriched to a relatively low level would seem to mitigate any concerns of imminent disaster. Yet even after Obama asked Ahmadinejad earlier this summer to demonstrate at the G-20 summit “that [Iran's] nuclear enrichment program is intended for peaceful purposes,” the September 24 deadline “came and went with no acknowledgment.” Once again, we seem to be making no progress through diplomacy.
So isn't it time we stopped relying solely on words? Sure, phrases like “time is running out,” “unacceptable,” and even “economic sanctions” may scare away a five-year-old, but they obviously won't have any effect on the President of one of the most powerful countries in the region. [In fact, for nearly the last 5 years, they haven't.] There is only so much we can do to enforce international laws and global security interests by using such supposedly 'forceful' language. Ahmadinejad has consistently refused to listen to the pleas of the international community to abide by its rules, an attitude that, when combined with Iran's threatening stance against Israel and the west, only grows more frightening every day. Words have had little or no effect so far to diminish our reason for fear; its time for some serious action. We've wasted a lot of time coercing, negotiating and imposing economic sanctions, while Iran's power over oil (and now nuclear) energy sources has been growing. Now is the time for concentrated physical efforts to stop Iran from gaining too much ground. Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton attests to this necessity: “If there is a point at which military force is still possible to break Iran's control over the nuclear fuel cycle, this is it.”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/30/irans-latest-nuclear-plan-challenges-limits-obamas-wait-approach/
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3 comments:
I completely agree that something needs to be done about Iran, especially something more than just these verbal condemnations because history has clearly shown that they are not accomplishing anything. My only question is when you say, “Concentrated physical effort,” what are you implying? Should we order for strategic air strikes to target their nuclear facilities? Are you proposing all our war? “Concentrated physical efforts” seems very vague, and I think the clarification is of the utmost importance. I strongly believe that we cannot afford to go to war with another country especially one that is much more stable and militarily equipped than the ones we are currently entangled with. But simply blowing up their nuclear sites also could start up lots of trouble all around the world. I don’t trust Iran, but we need to look at all the implications of a physical attack. World Wars have started due to small, contained, but violent incidents. There is no reason to believe the same cannot happen here and now.
Iran's government, time and time again, has proven to be very shifty with regard to their country's nuclear situation. They neglect the rights and well being of their citizens to continue a nuclear program--despite major sanctions. However, while Iran has the capability to build a bomb, they have yet to choose to do so. I believe the most pertinent nuclear problem lies in the ties the Iranian government may have with terrorist organizations. Israel will probably not let Iran build a weapon, but if an insider in Iran has a connection with a terrorist organization, the western world could be in a lot of trouble.
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