Thursday, February 16, 2006

The Larger WMD Question And Iran


".....Iran wants to use nuclear technology purely for peaceful purposes, that it opposes all weapons of mass destruction and favors all countries getting rid of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons."

Complicated Iraq
The Jyllands Posten Muhammad Cartoons Controversy
French Society: No Easy Solutions
The Saudi Royal Family Has Got To Go

Iran accuses the west of "nuclear apartheid."

Recently some senior French official was in India promising to help India advance its nuclear energy hopes. But there were conditions. India had to develop more stringent divisions between its civilian and military facilities. Does France have them?

I am for preventing nuclear proliferation. Ultimately all such weapons have to be dismantled. They can not possibly be put to use, no matter who has them, so why have them if not to make some kind of a political statement against the have-nots?

There have been times when the US has discussed using "smart" nuclear bombs to penetrate deep bunkers possibly used by terrorists with "limited" radiation fallouts. Whoever has been talking this talk in the military establishment, you have to ask, are these people sane?

WMDs. The short term talk has to be prevent proliferation. But the long term talk has to be elimination. And the long term talk framework might make short term talk more possible.

In the case of Iran, there is also the issue of helping that country democratize itself. There are strong domestic undercurrents to that effect. We have to find ways to help them.

On The Web

CIA - The World Factbook -- Iran
Iran Daily
Irna
Iran - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tehran Times

In The News

France Joins In Criticizing Iran CBS News
US turning up the heat on Iran
The Standard, Hong Kong
Merkel optimistic diplomacy can work in Iran nuclear dispute
Ireland Online, Ireland
Iran Renames Danish Pastries
Houston Chronicle, United States
Iran's Parliament speaker visits ally Cuba
IranMania News, Iran
Iran Open To Helping Venezuelan Nuclear Program RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
Pakistani minister in India for talks on Iran gas
IranMania News, Iran
India, Pak to discuss execution of Iran-Pakistan-India gas ... Islamic Republic News Agency
France says Iran has secret nuclear program
Reuters
Iran hopes for Russian help in nuclear settlement - ambassador
RIA Novosti, Russia

Visitors

12 February13:23Shaw Fiberlink, Canada
13 February02:07Road Runner, New York, United States

13 February14:29San Francisco State University, San Francisco, United States
13 February17:30Smart Telecom Holdings, Ireland
14 February04:1872.30.177.x
14 February05:01Road Runner, New York, United States
14 February20:38Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, Dallas, United States

16 February10:07University of South Carolina, Columbia, United States
16 February12:25New York University, New York, United States

2 comments:

Jim said...

How can we help democratize Iran when we can't democratize ourselves?

Anonymous said...

...are these people sane?"

Yeah, we`re sane. And paranoid.
I`m an american with an american name. I can say with certainty that the US has weapons for self-defense purposes.
The last time the US ever got "heavy" was when we bombed japan.
See any of those "bombs" going off in viet nam?
No.
Think about it. Iran needs our help? Guess what?
Aint happening.

Jim-true dat.