Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Bad Fookin' Idea redux - Iran

The Monk wanted to title this "Clinton's Fourth Term" but I wanted something more catchy.

Jay Solomon writes at the WSJ that the latest US approach to Iran - potentially offering 'incentives' for it to abandon refining weapons grade plutonium - is very similar to President Clinton's Agreed Framework in 1994 on which North Korea cheated.

Many former and current Bush administration officials also say any talks with Iran could very well end up producing a deal mirroring the original Agreed Framework. Last week, Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign-policy chief, presented to Tehran a list of incentives that the U.S. and the U.N. Security Council would support if Iran agreed to freeze its nuclear program. Among the perks are light-water nuclear reactors and fuel guarantees as well as a list of economic incentives that includes lifting the ban on the sale of airplane parts to Tehran and assistance in Iran's bid to join the World Trade Organization.
...
Still, there are many in the counterproliferation community who fear Tehran is essentially preparing to mirror North Korea's efforts to wait out the international community. They say even if Tehran fails to comply with Western demands to freeze its uranium-enrichment programs, there are indications China and Russia still wouldn't agree to coercive measures.

"The Iranians could hardly think the situation North Korea finds itself in is bad," says Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Education Policy Center in Washington. "They haven't been punished at all," and they continue to fail to comply.


Amen.

I personally blame this eroding resolve on the Democratic Party and the Left, abetted by the MSM, who have slowly but disastrously whittled away at public support for the aggressive and appropriate policies towards the Axis of Evil. It will come to grief one day.

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