Despite US President Barack Obama's undertakings to hold unconditional talks with the Iranian leadership, the cool breeze between Washington and Tehran has turned icy. This is not only tragic but dangerous. On Saturday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expressed his willingness for open dialogue with his US counterpart in the presence of the international media. If this offer is genuine, then Obama should take the bull by the horns and abide by his campaign commitment rather than allow - or, perhaps, even sanction - his minions to poison the atmosphere.
On Sunday, US Vice President Joe Biden echoed the sentiments of his predecessor Condoleezza Rice vis-à-vis Israel's unrelenting urge to attack a country it calls an existential threat. During an interview on ABC television, Biden gave Israel the green light to strike Iran's nuclear facilities and indicated that in the event it chose to do so, Washington wouldn't stand in its way. "Israel can determine for itself - it's a sovereign nation - what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else."
If the US is so concerned about the rights of sovereign nations to do as they please, then one can only wonder why it didn't extend the same courtesy to China's annexation of Tibet, Russia's conflict with Georgia or the Iranian response to opposition demonstrators. Moreover, Biden knows only too well that Israel, which depends on America's cash benefice and weapons, would hesitate to act without a nod from the White House. America's elective and illegal invasion of Iraq also goes to show that the US does not respect the sovereignty of other nations.
For those of us who believed, who hoped against hope, that the Obama White House would revolutionize the spirit of international diplomacy such US belligerence is disappointing. Where's the concept of mutual respect that Obama regularly advocates? It seems that the superpower is unable to relinquish its long time habit of drawing its sword before it even gets to the peace table.
Didn't the US leadership draw any lessons from the Iraq blunder? Iraq didn't possess weapons of mass destruction, and, according to the new IAEA chief Yukiya Amano, there is no evidence that Iran seeks nuclear weapons. Israel and the US are, therefore, beating the war drums too soon. War should always be the very last option once the talking is over. The question is when will the talking begin?
The fact is Iran has every right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which it has ratified, and, furthermore, fellow signatories who possess nuclear know-how are obliged to help them in this quest.
However, Western countries are not adhering to the NPT's letter or spirit when it comes to Iran because they mistrust the Iranian regime and its future intentions and are swayed by the Israeli government's constant bleating. They had no such qualms about India's nuclear weapons program, for instance, which was implemented outside the NPT umbrella because India is not a signatory. And, indeed, rather than US censure, India received the gift of civilian nuclear cooperation from Washington. The Indian program was blessed simply because 'India is one of us."
So, this isn't about Iran's infringement of international laws or treaties. It's all about Western fears and perceptions. Put simply, "We don't like them so they can't be trusted with the nuclear toy." The Iranians, no doubt, feel similarly, except their Western foes and "sovereign" Israel, that even refuses to acknowledge that it has nukes, are already armed to the teeth. If Israel feels under threat, then Iran must feel even more so.
But putting aside legal and moral arguments, let's look at the situation from the perspective of realpolitik. No country in this region would feel comfortable with a nuclear armed Iran so it is in everyone's interests to bring Iran into the international community's fold. This cannot be done using threats, which will only inflame Iran's desire to shore up its own security in the same way Iraq tried to do when Israel destroyed its civilian nuclear facility at Tuwaitha in 1981. It was only after that, that Saddam summoned his nuclear scientists and asked them to make a bomb.
Any attack on Iran would be a logistical nightmare because its nuclear sites are spread all over the country while many are buried deep. Not only would this strengthen Iran's nuclear resolve and bring the Iranians together, Tehran is well placed to retaliate against Israel and Western interests in the Gulf.
Before it's too late, a hero is needed. Obama should adopt this role and save the day rather than cave in to the warmongers. The alternative is unthinkable.
