Expose Obama
May 22nd, 2010by Leslie H. Gelb, The Daily Beast
ineffective…In recent days, we have seen the future of diplomatic machinations with Iran, and it is messier and more alarming than before. Its challenges are rooted as much in America’s peculiarities as Iran’s, and now, as well, in the new-found muscle and assertiveness of new major powers. These realities won’t evaporate and will increasingly frustrate Americans above all.
The Obama team was right to preempt the Brazil/Turkish pact on nuclear exchanges with Iran. It was basically an Iranian scam to circumvent new United Nations sanctions and other limitations on its nuclear programs. But Brazil and Turkey were also right to pursue their separate diplomatic track and solution. They were reflecting the mounting attitude in the world that Washington’s anti-nuclear proliferation policy essentially serves American interests and not those of most other nations. And from their point of view, they were simply doing what the United States has been doing all along, namely protecting their own interests first. That is the story lost in current news accounts.
Here’s the story of the Brazilian and Turkish revolt against U.S. nuclear non-proliferation policy, and what can be done about it:
As is clear, Iran maneuvered Turkish and Brazilian leaders into an agreement to dispatch a limited amount of low-enriched uranium to Turkey for conversion into fuel rods, which would then be shipped back to Tehran for use in its ailing medical reactor. This arrangement, however, still leaves Tehran with a considerable amount of uranium, potentially usable to enrich to weapons-grade material. The deal also is silent on Tehran’s fulfilling its legal obligations to allow full and open inspection of its nuclear facilities.
And it is also obviously intended to deflect American efforts to ratchet up economic sanctions against Iran. Nonetheless, Washington moved ahead on that front and reached agreement on a draft Security Council resolution to impose tougher sanctions (with the participation of China and Russia), suggesting that Iran’s ploy is failing.
