THE IRANIAN QUESTION
In a tactical diplomatic coup, the Bush administration has secured the consent of Russia and China to refer Iran’s suspected violations of the NPT to the UN Security Council. Previously, many experts expected that Russia – Iran’s major trading partner – and China would balk at such a move or threaten the use of their veto power.
Iran has done much of the heavy lifting in terms of isolating itself by using belligerent rhetoric, wanton obstructionism and the gratuitously offensive behavior of their fanatical president, but the Bush administration merits praise today.
Let’s see which of Bush’s habitual critics are big enough to admit it.
Prediction: Zero.
UPDATE:
Critic # 1
ADDENDUM:
Bill Petti weighs in at Duck of Minerva
Falling out as Dr. Barnett wargamed it ( or NewMapgamed it).
January 31st, 2006 at 12:35 pm
Wow, I must admit I didn’t think they would get this far this quickly (although not due to the administration per se, but because of the conflicting interests of the parties). However, there seem to be a number of ‘outs’–for both Iran and Russia/China–but this is a positive development. Lets hope they can keep the pressure on.
January 31st, 2006 at 3:08 pm
nice habitual critics list.
January 31st, 2006 at 4:03 pm
Hi Bill,
Yes, let’s hope so. The great powers really have to decide a number of things:
a) if they are serious about effectively enforcing nonproliferation or are comfortable with accepting uncontrolled nuclear weapons programs. There’s no middle ground – intentionally ineffective enforcement policy is de facto proliferation.
b) how such enforcement will take place – systemically or by unilateral action ?
I think we are at the great historical tipping point on this issue.
Hi Sean,
Yeah, I think I found a crowd for whom, if George W. Bush healed the lame, the blind and the halt of speech, it would represent an attack on Medicare.