Iran on the Horizon
By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross
The early twenty-first century is an extremely dangerous time, as the United States is forced to fashion a simultaneous response to multiple global threats. One of the primary threats we face is the development of weapons of mass destruction by rogue regimes, as both Iran and North Korea appear to be quickly developing their nuclear programs at the same time.
The recent allegations by Americans held captive during the 1979 hostage crisis that Iranian president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad interrogated captives and demanded harsher treatment of them is sure to push Iran into a greater position of prominence in Americans' eyes. The Washington Times reports on former hostage and retired Army Colonel Charles Scott's comments on viewing Ahmedinejad after the recent elections:
"As soon as I saw his picture in the paper, I knew that was the bastard," said retired Army Col. Charles Scott, 73, a former hostage who lives in Jonesboro, Ga.
"He was one of the top two or three leaders," Col. Scott said in a telephone interview. "The new president of Iran is a terrorist."
President Bush, in turn, has commented that these claims raise "many questions," but that his more immediate concern is preventing a nuclear-armed Iran. I've noted before on this blog that Israeli intelligence expects Iran's nuclear program to reach the "point of no return" by the end of the year, when Iran may be able to enrich uranium for military purposes. For his part, Ahmadinejad has vowed to pursue Iran's nuclear program, but has insisted, "Iran's peaceful technology is the outcome of the scientific achievements of Iran's youth. We need the peaceful nuclear technology for energy, medical and agricultural purposes and our scientific progress."
Fashioning an appropriate response to Iran's nuclear program is difficult. Any military threats we make will be viewed with skepticism because, with simultaneous conflagrations in both Afghanistan and Iraq, American troops are already overstretched. Nonetheless, preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons is crucial to building a more secure future.