[lit-ideas] Gee whiz, Lawrence, listen to all these stupid people who can't possibly know as much as we do
- From: "John McCreery" <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 11:22:43 +0900
Talk to Iran, President Bush
International Herald Tribune
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006
The undersigned, a group of former foreign ministers from Europe and
North America, find disturbing the reports that the Bush
administration may be actively planning to launch military strikes
soon against possible nuclear weapons facilities in Iran.
Such reports, though denied by the administration, raise alarms
nevertheless. Similar reports, and similar denials, preceded the
administration's decision in 2003 to invade Iraq.
We accept Iran's legitimate right to pursue civilian nuclear power
with appropriate international safeguards.
European leaders have made strenuous efforts to negotiate a solution
that met Iran's energy development needs while ensuring respect for
nonproliferation norms. Unfortunately, Iran's government continues to
resist accepting verifiable constraints on its development of all
elements of the nuclear fuel cycle, including large-scale uranium
enrichment facilities that could be used to manufacture fuel for
nuclear weapons.
The threatening and outrageous rhetoric of Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad has evoked understandable concern in Israel and other
countries about Iranian intentions. Israel also has legitimate
security concerns about Tehran's growing military capabilities.
Although these discussions have proven only partly successful, a
unilateral American use of force against Iran would likely have
disastrous effects on the international security environment. It is
doubtful than a "surgical" air strike could succeed in destroying all
of Iran's nuclear assets, while a large-scale invasion and military
occupation of the country is widely recognized as unmanageable.
Even if American air power succeeded in disrupting for some time
Tehran's ability to develop nuclear weapons, Iran could well find
others means - including terrorism - to retaliate against Western
interests in the region and elsewhere.
Such a unilateral use of force by Washington would find little support
within Europe and would further undermine trans-Atlantic relations
just as they were recovering from the divisions created by the
invasion of Iraq.
Russia and China would certainly oppose such a move. Even close
American allies in Asia and Latin America would object to a U.S.
military action against Iran under present circumstances. Fearing the
long-term consequences for their security of an even more radicalized
Iranian regime, Turkey, Egypt and other nearby countries would have
new grounds to pursue their own nuclear programs, further undermining
the global nonproliferation regime.
We cannot exclude the fact that the United States might eventually
conclude that military action might prove warranted. We are suggesting
another course. The potential risks of using force are sufficiently
grave that we instead urge the United States to pursue a bold
nonmilitary option first.
We believe that the Bush administration should pursue a policy it has
shunned for many years: attempt to negotiate directly with Iranian
leaders about their nuclear program.
The administration has already taken the first step in engaging the
Iranian government on regional security issues when it authorized its
ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, to discuss questions relating to
the situation in Iraq with representatives of the Iranian government
(hopefully with Iraqis also included). We applaud the administration's
decision, but call on it to widen the dialogue and raise it to a
higher level, by developing a dialogue on nuclear security issues as
well.
Some might consider the current Iranian government an unwilling
dialogue partner. Yet every European member of our group has met with
influential Iranian officials during the past few months and found a
widespread interest among them in conducting a broad discussion with
the United States on security issues.
Government leaders in Europe, Russia and Asia also believe that direct
talks between Washington and Tehran could prove more fruitful now that
the European and Russian-Iranian engagements on Iran's nuclear program
have made some progress in communicating mutual positions and
concerns.
Accordingly, we call on the U.S. administration, hopefully with the
support of the trans-Atlantic community, to take the bold step of
opening a direct dialogue with the Iranian government on the issue of
Iran's nuclear program.
The statement is signed by former foreign ministers Madeleine Albright
of the United States, Joschka Fischer of Germany, Jozias van Aartsen
of the Netherlands, Bronislaw Geremek of Poland, Hubert Védrine of
France and Lydia Polfer of Luxembourg.
--
John McCreery
The Word Works, Ltd.
55-13-202 Miyagaya, Nishi-ku
Yokohama 220-0006, JAPAN
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