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U.S. Searching for "Plan B" on Iran

[New York Jewish Week] James D. Besser - The Obama administration, frustrated by Iran's non-response to its diplomatic overtures, is considering policy shifts to ratchet up U.S. pressure on the Tehran regime - while still leaving the door open a crack for negotiations. The clock on U.S. diplomatic outreach is running out, says Shaul Bakhash, a leading Iran expert at George Mason University. Any direct engagement by Washington "with an Iranian government that appears illegitimate, that's engaged in an extraordinary crackdown on its own people, would be criticized," he said. At the same time, growing international pressure could harden the positions of Iran's religious rulers. "Given that Iran's supreme leader has always said 'don't negotiate from a position of weakness,' it is unlikely Iran would be willing to engage in negotiations at this time," Bakhash said. "Its leaders would not want to appear weak at home by looking for accommodation abroad." Bakhash said he expects Iran's leaders to stall by offering a proposal meant to buy time, and not directly address U.S. and international concerns. David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, said that reality could force the Obama administration to face politically and morally awkward choices. "You get (Russia and China) to cooperate not because you assert it's the right thing to do, but by offering something that's even more important to them than their relations with Iran," he said. That could include concessions to Russia on NATO expansion - and an easing of human rights pressures on both countries. "These are extremely difficult decisions to make, when realpolitik factors come up against moral imperatives," Harris said.
2009-08-14 06:00:00
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