Be surprised! Be VERY surprised!!

ARTICLE: "Atomic Monitor Signals Concern Over Iran's Work: Cites Lack of Openness; Agency Finds Evidence Pointing to Weapons—Iran's Rebuttal," by Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, 27 May 2008, p. A1.

Actually, don't be surprised.

Iran will continue doing just enough in the direction of weaponizing its growing nuclear technology to warrant all sorts of damning international reports.

Iran will also do just enough to bolster energy ties to New Core pillars like India, Russia and China to make a collective international response virtually meaningless, leaving the U.S. and Israel very unpalatable choices.

But, by all means, be SHOCKED! every time you see such headlines.

Comments

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Iran is a "Player" on the cheap . . They don't have to actually be building a nuke, they just have to be known as a buyer of parts and pieces . . this inflates their presence in the world and makes their leaders important . . after all, it's easier to be Notorious than either Famous or Benevolent . .

[Wiredman]

I've been following the Iran nuclear program for years, so I'm not shocked at what they're tying to do.

But, I don't think I understand your premiss of the post. Are we suppose to be surprised? Are some people shocked, because they believed the NIA report that Iran stopped their hunt for the bomb?

Or are you two levels above my thinking and I just don't get it.

[Andrew in Baghdad]

I can't wrap my head around this. Iran, right now, is rogue because it can afford to be. Iran is also, by various estimates, 4-10 years away from the Bomb. 66% of its population is under 30 and loves us. (for the most part... as long as we don't screw it up). Thus, the Iran that possesses the Bomb is going to be very very different than the Iran that developed the Bomb. Why can't we get past the inevitability of Iran owning a nuke and work toward establishing plausible levers to restrain that Iran once they possess it. Get it plugged into the global rule-sets and let rational risk/gain analyses to work for you, not against you.

And if you must counterbalance locally... give the Turks nuke technology. No Arab states are ready for it.