Madman on Iran

The recent US National Intelligence Estimate on Iran and the halt of its nuclear weapons program marks an important development in what is the most sulfuric geopolitical zone in the world. It appears that the war drums need not be beaten so hastily, if the intelligence community was prudent in making its assertions.

President Bush is still wary of Iran, as one should be when dealing with the likes of Ahmadinejad and the amalgam of clerical puppeteers that run that country. Iran has rushed to proclaim this development as a victory for their nuclear power program and to denounce spying on it (side comment to Iran: quit while you're ahead - you might just escape getting blown off the face of the Earth). So, Iran plans to continue its uranium enrichment, and Bush, Cheney and the hawks aren't down.

The case for military action against Iran weakened after this week's unfolding; this is for the best for all parties involved. Iran is a country with a vast population under 30, many of which are educated and with friendly views of liberalism, and a military intervention would certainly have the effect of jading and radicalizing this population against America. Moreover, by not allowing the Iranian government to assert that the US is on the war path against them, the politics of fear used by Ahmadinejad will not be as effective on the Iranians, and perhaps it will be the masses that get rid of that nutjob.

The issue of Iranian nuclear energy still remains unresolved, however, and it is an issue with significant implications on a larger scale. The world as a whole needs to take on the issue of clean energy, and one of the options on the table is going nuclear. That is, if you ignore all the risks involved with nuclear power, including the possibility of its diversion to other aims as well as the lack of appropriate nuclear waste management.

Will pushing for further sanctions prevent the Iranian government from attaining nuclear energy? It remains to be seen, but it seems unlikely given what inflows Iran has from its oil. Such sanctions should not play a part in the impoverishment of Iranians, both for humanitarian reasons and because they may be counterproductive in refueling anti-western sentiments.

How about ignoring Iran, at least out loud? In other words, keeping an eye on this nation but ignoring the rants of that crazed premier of theirs. Perhaps the problems the country faces will make Ahmadinejad fall under his own weight. Or, if a western nation feels gracious enough, collaborating with Iran on non-nuclear clean energy alternatives (the old charm offensive). The entire world needs to get in on this anyway, the sooner the better, so why not make an example out the most rotten apple of the bunch?

But war, good God y'all, what it is a good for?