Bush Aides Iranian Hardliners

It seems that the US led international campaign against Iran, and the accompanying unilateral saber rattling of the US, has had an effect on the Persian theocracy, just not the one which has been sought by the White House:

For months now, average Iranians have endured economic hardships, political repression and international isolation as the nation’s top officials remained defiant over Iran’s nuclear program. But in a country whose leaders see national security, government stability and Islamic values as inextricably entwined, problems that usually would constitute threats to the leadership are instead viewed as an opportunity to secure its rule.

Paradoxically, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s economic missteps and the animosity generated in the West by his aggressive posture on the nuclear issue have helped Iran’s leaders hold back what they see as corrupting foreign influences, by increasing the country’s economic and political isolation, said economists, diplomats, political analysts, businessmen and clerics interviewed over the past two weeks.

Pressure from the West, including biting economic sanctions, over Iran’s nuclear program and its role in Iraq have also empowered those pushing the harder line.

For a long time the administration has taken the position that it wants to negotiate with Iran about halting its nuclear program; but the price for negotiating on that subject is that they had to halt their nuclear program.  As you can see there was no clear advantage for Iran to follow through on that offer, and so sanctions were put in place which seem to have had little effect that is positive.  It has however further pushed Iran to isolate itself, and as the article above documents, "empowered those pushing the harder line."

The US rhetoric and military preparations have also brought about an "in kind" response from those Iranian hardliners:

Iran claimed yesterday that it had reached its goal of running 3,000 centrifuges for uranium enrichment, a much higher number than recently estimated by the United Nations' atomic agency.

Western experts say 3,000 machines running smoothly for long periods at supersonic speeds could make enough enriched uranium for an atomic bomb in about a year, if Iran wanted, and form the basis for "industrial-scale" production of nuclear fuel.

That claim amounts saber rattling that is also "empowering those pushing the harder line" here in the US, and is thought to be bogus by officials at the UN, who called the claim "Wishful thinking, perhaps."

Now it wasn't always like this.  Just after 9/11 the Iranian regime was reaching out to the US, and offering to use its influence in Afghanistan to help the US get Al Qaeda and the Taliban.  We refused. 

Then after the US invasion of Iraq, Iran proposed a deal that would have halted the Iranian nuclear program, seen Iran recognize Israel and ceased its support for Hezbollah, and brought security to the Iran/Iraq border.  That offer was also rebuffed without the public ever even knowing about it.

So now we are left with a regime that is moving to increase its theocratic authoritarian control over its own people, and is making it clear that it will be satisfied with nothing less than nuclear statehood.

So basically the only winners in this are the violent elements on both sides of this crisis. 

tags: iran  nuclear  theocracy  bush  iraq  afghanistan  lies  

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