This week, Iran announced that it had successfully sent a rocket into space. Although the rocket was believed to have sent a commercial satellite into space, the launch comes at a time of growing tensions between the West and Tehran, which has vowed to continue with its nuclear program.
News reports have suggested that both the United States and Israel are working on plans to attack Iranian nuclear sites. The world community has moved toward imposing sanctions on the Islamic Republic, if it stands by its work on enriching uranium.
Who should take the lead in dealing with the prospect of a nuclear Iran? How should the world community approach the possibility of confrontation? What course should Washington and Israel take toward Iran?
What you think
If Washington and Israel dismantle their nuclear arsenals, Iran shall follow suit. No country should have an above all or exempt status.
Tarek El Bakly,
Cairo,
Ethiopia
If Washington and Israel dismantle their nuclear arsenals, Iran shall follow suit. No country should have an above all or exempt status. Tarek El Bakly, Cairo, Egypt.
Tarek El Bakly,
Cairo,
Ethiopia
The only reasonable way to deal with Iran is through diplomacy. A possible military intervention will only impede Iran's nuclear ambitions for a while, but will accelerate its nuclear programme in the long run. It will make situation in Iraq and Lebanon much more instable and bloddy. A much more tougher diplomacy is needed by the US, EU and Russia. Especially, Russia which helps Iran in nuclear energy should pressurize Iran to comply with UN resolutions. Russia and Chine should understand that weak and vague UN resolutions they want make the prospect of a military intervention nearer. Along with more forceful diplomacy, Iran should be offered both economic and political carrots. And Israel should at least make a try for peace with Syria which has an important role both in the Iranian issue and Palestine. If the Bush administartion learnt any lesson from disastrous Iraqi adventure , it is that they should be more cautious and use diplomacy to the end point.
Levent ?nen,
Istanbul,
Turkey
Iranian nuclear proliferation is currently the greatest threat facing the West. Unlike other rogue states like North Korea, Iran's nuclear program is fueled by a radical Islamic ideology.
Both the United States and Israel have the military capability to crush Iran's nuclear stations, yet they lack the political will to implement such a plan. There is also the element of Iran's allies (China, Russia) who refuse to confront Iran. Hence, harsh sanctions against Iran do not look like they are on the horizon.
The only option left is to carry out a huge military operation to destroy not only Iran's nuclear sites, but also their key military bases.
Ideally, the United States and Israel would lead such an operation, but President Bush does not have the political capital to implement such a plan, and Washington is bogged down in Iraq.
It looks as if Israel will be left alone to confront its arch-foe. Sadly, time is against us, and so such an operation must be carried out in the next year. Israel should immediatly begin to plan a strike against the Islamic Republic, or the world as we know it will be shattered by a nuclear-armed Iran.
Daniel Bleiberg,
Los Angeles,
U.S.A.
Can there be reason rather than hysteria about the objectionable government of Iran?
Would a war against Iran help Israel?
It could instead topple Israel's moderate neighbors and have their armies invading alongside Hezbollah and Hamas rockets.
And whether Iran gets an atomic bomb now, there it surely will sooner or later. Arab countries also will want an Arab atomic bomb.
What is Israel's long-term strategy? Where will Israel be without region-wide negotiations?
Negotiated agreements are why Egyptian and Jordanian armies haven't already swept through Israel.
Isn't this the best time to negotiate with Syria? These would isolate Iran from Syria. Iran couldn't be as bellicose if its chief ally were engaged in negotiations with Israel.
Negotiations based on the Saudi Arab League plan would isolate, and act as a region-wide counterweight, to Iran - as well as put overwhelming pressure on Hezbollah and Hamas to get into step with the rest of the Arab world.
It is the present pessimistic atmosphere which gives Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas the green light to act with impunity.
A regional deal would not only bring security to Israel, but reduce, and gradually perhaps even eliminate, extremism in in general.
What other strategy could there even be before it becomes too late for there to be Arabl moderation and a non-nuclear Arab region and acceptance and peace and for Israel a long-term future?
And so what could be a smarter and more and hard-headed and attractive overall strategy for giving security to Israel both for now and into its long-term future?
James Adler,
Boston,
U.S.A.
I think the world should use diplomacy as much as it can. If all else fails then Israel, America and the few allies it has left should be prepared to use force.
Iran is a country that actively engages in funding terrorists not only in Israel's neck of the woods but most likely in Iraq too. Iran is too dangerous to have nukes.
Don Hopkins,
Rydal,
U.S.A.
Tactical nuclear weapons have the yield of 1 kiloton which is one fifteenth of the bomb which exploded in Hiroshima in 1945. According to the Sunday Times article: "conventional laser-guided bombs would open "tunnels" into the targets. "Mini-nukes" would then immediately be fired into a plant at Natanz, exploding deep underground to reduce the risk of radioactive fallout."
If Israel used this kind of nuclear-tipped bunker-busters in remote sites and conventional weapons in sites which are near dense population centers then this attack would produce huge casualties but would not, as Benny Morris asserted in a recent article, " kill millions of Iranians and in effect destroy Iran.". It would destroy the Iranian nuclear threat. But attacking Iran with tactical nuclear weapons is a major decision that Olmert is probably not up to.
Of course, the moral implications of such a move by Israel would be huge, regardless who the PM is. But faced with extinction Israel would only have to do less than what the US has already done in 1945 when the very existence of the U.S. was not at stake.
Mladen Andrijasevic,
Be'er Sheva,
Israel
Iran is Iran's problem. The youth and students of Iran face a fascist theocratic regime which oppresses them. In terms of the nuclear threat, the United States has no right to attack Iran, because its homeland faces no threat, existential or otherwise. It is only America's imperialist bases in other nations that could be threatened. However, Israel faces an existential threat due to Iran's nuclear ambitions. Therefore it is the sole right of Israel to militarily destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities. It should be done as soon as possible. It is unfortunate that the Jews are forced to act against a nation which was once friendly, but with the current brainwashed Islamic leadership, there is no chance for negotiations.
Ivan Zharnovitz,
U.S.A.
It's no one's problem and nobody's business if Iran gets nukes. If Iran does launch its nukes at Israel, Israel and other nuclear-capable countries will detect the launch immediately and warn Israel. Plus Norad will try shooting down the nuclear missile before going into orbit.
Faraz Shah,
Uxbridge,
United Kingdom
What do you think nukes in the hands of any radical Islamic despot will be used for, frying falafel?
Robert Harris,
Chicago,
U.S.A.
The answer is simple. Ahmadinejad promised to "wipe Israel off the face of the earth" and he's building nukes specifically for that purpose. Saddam, Nasrallah, Zarkawi, Arafat, Yassin, the Mufti and Assad would have gladly done the same if they had nukes. What do you think nukes in the hands of any radical Islamic despot will be used for, frying falafel?
The Shi'ites, Suunis, Baathists, Wahhabis, and all sects of Islam are unified in one ancient goal: to murder all the Jews. Any heroic nation, be it the USA, Israel, or Portugal should recognize this evil and stop it. Diplomacy never worked with Hitler, Stalin, Mao, or Khmielniki, and it doesn't work with Bin Laden, Zarkawi or Khomeini's followers.
Stop them today or accept their active, aggresive plan of Jihad and Islamic fascist domination in the West.
Robert Harris,
Chicago,
U.S.A.
There should certainly be an international coalition putting extreme pressure on Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. But should it come to it, the moral choice for leading a military assault? Germany.
Dan Silverman,
New York,
U.S.A.
If you want to know whose problem Iran is, you must first ask: whose problem is the USA? Whose problem is Britain? Whose problem is Australia? Whoever owns the problems presented by the USA, Britain and Australia also owns any problem that may be presented by Iran.
Mark Marshall,
Toronto,
Canada
A nuclear Iran is everybody's problem. This maniac would usher in Armageddon in order to further his warped ideology of Islam and his intense hatred of Israel and the U.S.
Mark Hupf,
Lincoln,
U.S.A.
It depends; whether it is a small, medium or a big problem. For most of the world Iranian policies are a problem (but not significant) because it can drive to nuclear proliferation in the region. All together these countries have the power to force Iran to stop it's nuclear program; the problem is they don't seem very interested in it.
For the United States it's a threat to the control and 'stability' of one of the most important regions for the American economy. If the Iranian influence keeps expanding the U.S. would be in a position in which it will have a significant dependence on a country considered as an enemy. The U.S. has a doubtful chance to stop Iran by a peaceful way and all the military capability to crush its nuclear program, the problem is that its government and its foreign policy are not in a position that will let the U.S to do it so.
And for Israel is a threat to its integrity and about all to its self existence. A hostile and fanatic regime that support your enemies, blamed of supporting terrorism and mass killings of innocent people. Israel is a small country that doesn't have the international weight to push Iran to stop its nuclear program; in fact it doesn't even have formal relations with the regime. All its chances are put on the poor international pressure on Iran and a military action with doubtful results.
David Amiama,
Santiago,
Chile
Let's face it. Waiting it out, has never worked. Hitler, Milosovic, Amin, Saddam and many other regimes. The whole world watched the horror unfold before our eyes. By the time the 'world' took action it was pretty late. Millions of innocents were tortured, raped and executed. Those who could have taken action but did not, bear some responsibility. So waiting it out is Baloney. But then again there are those who deny past horrors.
Even the Democrats policy of waiting it out failed completely. During 1992-2000 an alarming number of terror groups and dictators were mushrooming all over the world. The world again turned a blind eye. One too many blind eye I think. And just when these terror groups and dictators were ready, the Reps (Bush) came to power. And we have seen what happened and is still happening.
Those who believe that the terror groups got together in a rapid deployment only to strike the Reps (Bush), is baloney. Terror groups did not pop up to target Bush. It is absolutely ridiculous. It takes time for such evil plans.
What is alarming is the cowardly among us (civilised people) who knowingly supported a leader who was and is committed to tackling terrorism and then when things are becoming difficult for him, we back track. Some have gone to the extent of denying they even supported him. Yes but, No but, and so on.
How could we ever trust such people. The kind of people that will tolerate terrorism, rape and torture and 'wait it out', than come out and help stop the evil. Shockingly, there are those who carry banners in support of such terror groups and dictators.
I could trust Bush because I know what his agenda is. Innocent people are not targeted by Bush. Innocent people are targeted by terrorists and dictators.
Carl Peters,
Melbourne,
Australia
We must exhaust the usual remedies through the UN - stronger sanctions and resolutions allowing for force to be used. We must encourage the Iranian people themselves to reject their present regime and elect one that doesn't want to start World War III.
Joseph Feld,
London,
United Kingdom
Diplomacy, diplomacy and more diplomacy.
The U.S. and Israel must offer something in return for Iran not going nuclear. The best prize for all of humanity would be a substantial reduction in Israeli and American nuclear weapons.
Nonproliferation must go hand-in-hand with disarmament. Israel needs to come clean about its nukes and they need to go under UN control, as a first step toward disarmament. That would be a powerful incentive for Iran not to puruse a nuclear arms race.
David Howard,
Ojai, California,
U.S.A.
Sooner or later the Iranians will have to topple the mullacracy in favor of a government that will serve the needs of its people.
Jane Maestro,
U.S.A.
Iran is every country's problem but most of all the current regime will lead Iran to doom. Sooner or later the Iranians will have to topple the mullacracy in favor of a government that will serve the needs of its people and not spend all of its time and resources provoking the rest of the world.
Jane Maestro,
U.S.A.
A war could instead set off popular explosions throughout the Middle East, moderate neighboring governments of Israel could topple, and a reprise of the summer Lebanon war could have radicalized Egyptian and Jordanian armies invading to your south and east.
Whether or not Iran gets an atomic bomb now, there is no reason to believe it will not get one sooner or later. Arab countries, also, sooner or later, will want an "Arab" atomic bomb.
Where will Israel be, then, without region-wide negotiations? Negotiations with Syria would isolate Iran from Syria. Iran could hardly be as bellicose if its main ally were in the middle of a process of negotiations with Israel.
James Adler,
Boston,
U.S.A.
Iran is the world's problem. Iran and Syria are at the root core of the world's crises with international terrorism. Iran and Syria are the leading exporters of international terrorism. Both nations are financing the insurgency in Iraq and are financing and supplying the weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The way to win the War on Terror is to isolate and contain Iran. What this means is a world solution lead by the moderate Arab States to Iran's nuclear ambitions and Iranian goals for a pax-Iran (with the Middle East under the control of Iran). At the same time the world must deal with Syria and Hezbollah.
To accomplish these goals the world needs to take diplomatic and military actions which deny Iran any allies. This operation must be lead by the moderate Arab states. First the moderate Arab states must send a message to Syria that it has a choice ether to abandon Iran and join the rest of the world in our fight against Iran and international terrorism or face the consequences. This happens in the UN where Syria along with Iran and Iran's agent Hezbollah are held responsible for the murders of the anti Syrian and Iran Lebanese political leaders. The UN then invokes real sanctions against Iran and Syria for their interference in Lebanon. Next the UN passes a real resolution to disarm Hezbollah in Lebanon. Third under Arab military leadership the UN disarms Hezbollah and have Hezbollah and their supporters returned to their nation of origin, Iran. If Syria sees these actions they will realize they have no choice, since the world including the Arab World has united against them, they will abandon Iran and join the world in the fight against terrorism.
Stephen Kogan,
Chicago,
U.S.A.
Iran is really an Israeli and European problem. Time for Israelis to make peace with their enemies, not their friends (that was the biggest whitewash in history - "partners for peace").
With the majority of Iranians under the age of 30 and Western-leaning, the real way to confront Iran is patience and containment. No reason to get the youth resentful towards us. That was how the Soviet Union collapsed. The idealogues who founded it finally passed away and the next generation was not as keen to follow their path. That is what will happen in Iran as well.
