Iran’s Nuclear Threat: No More ‘Red Lines’
It's time for a new approach.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei announced a couple of days ago “he had ordered preparations to increase uranium enrichment capacity” if the Obama-era Iran deal completely collapses. Khamenei understands that America being part of the accord was the greatest threat to keeping his rogue government honest.
Khamenei has also “informed the UN nuclear watchdog of ‘tentative’ plans to produce the feedstock for centrifuges, which are the machines that enrich uranium.”
Now comes talk of another “red line,” this one from France. But with a big “but”: Speaking of the Ayatollah’s comments, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Wednesday that “It is always dangerous to flirt with the red lines, but the initiative taken … remains totally within the framework of the Vienna (nuclear) deal.”
Ah. So, an anti-Semitic, repressive, dangerous bunch of Islamist fanatics make noise about developing weapons-grade uranium and this is “within the framework” of the Iran deal?
This shows Iran’s true hand. And it’s proof that President Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of deal was a good one.
The Red Line That Wasn’t
The Iran deal forced America to unleash billions of Iran’s dollars, held frozen because of Iran’s devious conduct, if Iran promised not to create nuclear weapons and allowed, for a time, inspection of its nuclear plants.
Take Iran’s nuclear program itself. The Iranian democracy advocate Heshmat Tabarzadi has said, “the Islamic regime, through its blackmailing via its nuclear programs, managed to buy time, receive dollars, crack down on the Iranian people, meddle in Syria and Yemen, and make the world a less safe place through its development of missiles.”
Remember Barack Obama’s “red line”? His warning to Syria’s brutal dictator Assad that if he used chemical agents against his own people, America would respond with force?
It was a line our then-President erased. Assad not only crossed it but did so without penalty. Like dictators everywhere, he had a built-in weakness detector. Assad took Mr. Obama’s measure and decided it was safe for him to thumb his nose at America. He was right.
What America Must Do
If Iran goes forward, the Western powers will put economic sanctions back into place. That would be a good thing. But most of those sanctions will be overcome by other nations eager to cash-in on Iran’s needs.
What to do? For one thing, America and her allies need to foster the pro-democracy forces in Iran. We can do this by raising awareness of these brave men and women. We don’t want to betray those who need anonymity. But others deserve spotlighting. As reported in a new study by the Congressional Research Service, “Some well-known dissidents have been incarcerated periodically or continuously” over the past few years. Just as the American government has made other tyrannies embarrassed by highlighting some of their most prominent freedom advocates, we can do so with those in Iran, as well.
As Ronald Reagan said of the former Soviet Union, Western technologies would blow through the Iron Curtain like wind through lace. Getting the truth to the people of Iran will help keep the freedom forces going.
We can also help promote representative government through the State Department’s Near East Regional Democracy (NERD – yes, a really dumb acronym) program. In Iran, “NERD” is designed “to strengthen Iran’s civil society, provide greater access to unbiased information, increase awareness of human rights, promote good governance and anti-corruption efforts, and increase opportunities for academic, professional and cultural exchanges.”
Note the term, “unbiased information”: As Ronald Reagan said of the former Soviet Union, Western technologies would blow through the Iron Curtain like wind through lace. Getting the truth to the people of Iran will help keep the freedom forces going.
Steadiness and Strength
Finally, we should be ready to use the last and toughest alternative. If Iran’s nuclear programs get to a point where they pose an imminent danger to Israel or the United States, we must be willing to destroy them.
There is precedent: In 1981, Israeli jets destroyed Saddam Hussein’s nuclear facility. The nations of the world condemned Israel, but the looming threat of an Iraqi nuclear attack was gone. And, secretly, you can bet nations throughout the region breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, but preparation is the better part of wisdom. And Iran should know that America is prepared.
No more red lines. Just steadiness and strength — and, if needed, swift and devastating action.
