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U.S. Should Hold Firm in Iranian Nuke Talks

(Foreign Policy) Michael Singh - The charming self-assurance projected by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani masks a desperate need to make a deal. U.S. military credibility may be at low ebb, but Iran cannot discount U.S. and Israeli military threats. An attack by either would not only set back Iran's nuclear efforts, but would expose the weakness of its military and the hollowness of its bombastic rhetoric. Rouhani will surely seek to alleviate Iran's suffering at the minimum price to its nuclear options. But a limited nuclear agreement that leaves Iranian capabilities in place, even if subject to enhanced inspections, will not build confidence or stability. Furthermore, an agreement that leaves Iran's nuclear fuel fabrication capabilities and weaponization research program in place will permit Tehran in the future to expel inspectors and resume its march toward nuclear weapons, as North Korea did. Avoiding this risk will require an agreement that rolls back rather than simply halts the progress of Iran's nuclear program. Negotiating such an agreement will require a stiff spine from the Obama administration; the U.S. may need to increase the pressure on Iran even further and defer hopes of rapprochement until a sustainable nuclear accord is concluded. The writer is managing director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2013-10-08 00:00:00
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