Why a New Deal with Iran Will Not Be the Solution

There is great risk in making a deal with someone who is not of questionable integrity. Case in point: the new United Nations deal with Iran. According to the AP Press, “a package of incentives presented to Iran includes a provision for the United States to supply Tehran with some nuclear technology if it stops enriching uranium”. For years, the Iranian government has denied any allegation that their experiments with uranium have a nuclear weapons agenda, and has reiterated that Iran has the right to conduct nuclear experiments that will eventually be used to provide energy.

Unfortunately, their actions have proved the contrary. For example, their longstanding refusal to give any nuclear plant information to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is more than a legitimate cause for alarm. This uncompromising and secretive stance was in clear violation of the Nonproliferation Treaty of the United Nations.

Suspicion was even more raised on October 26 last year, when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at a seminar entitled “World Without Zion”. Ahmadinejad said that the Jewish state had to be wiped off the face of the earth. The president also praised the policy of the late Ruhollah Khomeini saying that “in his crusade against the World Arrogance, our dear Imam targeted the central and command base of the enemy, namely the occupying regime in Jerusalem”. The “World Arrogance” he refers to is the United States, and shows that the leader has clearly ruled out any peace process.

Despite two years of Iran’s questionable stance on atomic power and open hostility toward Jerusalem, the European Union has still argued that the best way to persuade the Iranians to give up their nuclear program is to pursue a “negotiated solution”. The negotiation has now entered a new phase as U.N. foreign policy chief Javier Solana prepares to offer Nuclear Power in exchange for the dismantlement of nuclear weapons.

A recent report from the BBC called his new policy as an application of “soft power” toward Iran. In other words, the U.S. is avoiding direct military action, such as the War-On-Terror invasions of Iran and Afghanistan. Russia and other countries have long since ruled out a military action toward Iran, and have agreed, along with four other countries on this treaty.

The actual text of the agreement has not been made public, but if the U.S. is going to give Iran the technology and knowledge to produce nuclear power, then hopefully it will be well-policed. After all, giving Iran nuclear power and then hoping that they do not build nuclear weapons is as na�¯ve as giving an ex-convict a gun and hope that they will neither have the knowledge nor desire to obtain bullets.

Iran’s response to this offer is yet to be revealed, but if it accepts, then the U.S. will end up playing the role of overprotective parent in this treaty. Unfortunately, the Iranians do not have a reputation of outside (especially U.S.) influence and will more than likely not adapt to the role of a well-behaved child.