Column: "Thinking About Iran"
Liberal understanding of America’s enemies has never extended much beyond Sting’s old song “Russians” – “There is no historical precedent to put the words in the mouth of the president [meaning Reagan] / There’s no such thing as a winable war / It’s a lie we don’t believe anymore” – which is why grown-ups ignore them at crucial times, like when Iran insists on furthering its nuclear program.
Of course, by the time “What should we do about Iran?” became the dominant question, it was too late to do much. Those who believe the United Nations should be instrumental in handling Iran are the same who thought it could comfortably manage Saddam Hussein; fat chance. Given that much of Iran’s nuclear program lies underground, a common air strike (think Israel’s against Iraq in 1981) may not do the trick. Employing bunker-busting bombs could suggest something greater than is actually intended – imagine trying to convince the American Left and the Arab Middle East that war hasn’t been declared when you’re dropping 5,000 pound bombs armed with 4,400 pound warheads. And if Iran should declare war itself, well, then we’re stuck.
Writing for Atlantic Monthly (December 2005), Terrence Henry outlines the little known history of sabotage and assassinations carried out against those aiding Iraq in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. “Iraq bought the cores for the Osirak reactor from France. Originally they were to be shipped to Iraq in April 1979, but shortly before their departure an explosion ripped through the warehouse that held them. An organization calling itself the French Ecological Group, which had never been heard of before (and hasn’t been heard of since), claimed responsibility. Shipment was delayed six months while the cores were repaired.”
That was just the beginning. In 1980, Iraqi nuclear scientist Yahya al-Meshad “arrived in France to test fuel for the reactor. The morning he was to return home a maid entered his Paris hotel room and found that he had been stabbed and bludgeoned to death.” (A prostitute who had seen Meshad the night before was later killed in a hit-and-run car accident.) Henry continues, “Soon afterward workers at firms supplying parts for the reactor began to receive threatening letters …. Bombs went off at the offices of one of the firms, in Italy, and at the home of the company’s director-general. Over the next several months two more Iraqi nuclear scientists died in separate poisoning incidents …. [M]ost experts today believe that Mossad – Israel’s secret service – was behind each of them, though it has never claimed responsibility.”
Americans and Israelis are safe in assuming their countries have covert operations ongoing in and around Iran, but as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s ramblings become more and more demented (if you can imagine), one wonders how well those efforts are serving us. (It’s clear the “Iranian youth movement,” which we’ve been preening and goading into action for decades now, is one of the all-time great paper tigers and irrelevant to this process.) There’s no denying the fact covert operations and open negotiations are necessary tools in times like these – even if they preclude the continuous carpet bombings of illegitimate third world regimes we all love so much. There’s also no denying that on this question, the civilized world (minus Russia, which one can hardly call “civilized” anymore) is fully on our side, at least as far as United Nations involvement is concerned. (China is a “maybe” in the security council, given its $70 billion natural gas contract with Iran.)
Increasingly, though, it’s becoming obvious Iran is typical of its breed and will one day become America’s toilet to flush. Some have argued (I am one) that the instant it took American hostages, Iran should have been pimp slapped back into its proper place and held firmly in check. (As it turned out, Carter intended for those hostages to be donations, but we got them back anyway.) It wasn’t, and in the intervening years Iran has watched the United States correct a great number of injustices around the world, including two of its Middle Eastern neighbors, taking no small note of the fact it has escaped real scrutiny.
Of course, by the time “What should we do about Iran?” became the dominant question, it was too late to do much. Those who believe the United Nations should be instrumental in handling Iran are the same who thought it could comfortably manage Saddam Hussein; fat chance. Given that much of Iran’s nuclear program lies underground, a common air strike (think Israel’s against Iraq in 1981) may not do the trick. Employing bunker-busting bombs could suggest something greater than is actually intended – imagine trying to convince the American Left and the Arab Middle East that war hasn’t been declared when you’re dropping 5,000 pound bombs armed with 4,400 pound warheads. And if Iran should declare war itself, well, then we’re stuck.
Writing for Atlantic Monthly (December 2005), Terrence Henry outlines the little known history of sabotage and assassinations carried out against those aiding Iraq in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. “Iraq bought the cores for the Osirak reactor from France. Originally they were to be shipped to Iraq in April 1979, but shortly before their departure an explosion ripped through the warehouse that held them. An organization calling itself the French Ecological Group, which had never been heard of before (and hasn’t been heard of since), claimed responsibility. Shipment was delayed six months while the cores were repaired.”
That was just the beginning. In 1980, Iraqi nuclear scientist Yahya al-Meshad “arrived in France to test fuel for the reactor. The morning he was to return home a maid entered his Paris hotel room and found that he had been stabbed and bludgeoned to death.” (A prostitute who had seen Meshad the night before was later killed in a hit-and-run car accident.) Henry continues, “Soon afterward workers at firms supplying parts for the reactor began to receive threatening letters …. Bombs went off at the offices of one of the firms, in Italy, and at the home of the company’s director-general. Over the next several months two more Iraqi nuclear scientists died in separate poisoning incidents …. [M]ost experts today believe that Mossad – Israel’s secret service – was behind each of them, though it has never claimed responsibility.”
Americans and Israelis are safe in assuming their countries have covert operations ongoing in and around Iran, but as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s ramblings become more and more demented (if you can imagine), one wonders how well those efforts are serving us. (It’s clear the “Iranian youth movement,” which we’ve been preening and goading into action for decades now, is one of the all-time great paper tigers and irrelevant to this process.) There’s no denying the fact covert operations and open negotiations are necessary tools in times like these – even if they preclude the continuous carpet bombings of illegitimate third world regimes we all love so much. There’s also no denying that on this question, the civilized world (minus Russia, which one can hardly call “civilized” anymore) is fully on our side, at least as far as United Nations involvement is concerned. (China is a “maybe” in the security council, given its $70 billion natural gas contract with Iran.)
Increasingly, though, it’s becoming obvious Iran is typical of its breed and will one day become America’s toilet to flush. Some have argued (I am one) that the instant it took American hostages, Iran should have been pimp slapped back into its proper place and held firmly in check. (As it turned out, Carter intended for those hostages to be donations, but we got them back anyway.) It wasn’t, and in the intervening years Iran has watched the United States correct a great number of injustices around the world, including two of its Middle Eastern neighbors, taking no small note of the fact it has escaped real scrutiny.
Others have argued that by furthering its nuclear program, guaranteeing a Bomb will be sent into Israel and supporting Iraq insurgents, Iran is already too uppity for its own good. No argument here, but diplomacy must be allowed to run its course. That way, when bombs finally do start falling on Tehran, no one can say America didn’t try to make it right.
17 January 2006
posted by Brian S. Wise | 5:29 PM
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