Iran’s nuclear program

Nobody is sure yet of how much was accomplished at the G20 meeting mostly because the most talked about event, one that was probably orchestrated behind the scenes but not expected to be presented, was the dramatic disclosure Friday made by Obama, flanked by Brown and Sarkozy, the leaders of Britain and France, of the existence of a covert Iranian nuclear enrichment site. Even though engagement with Iran was one of Obama’s campaign themes, this past week as he met with world leaders in New York and Pittsburgh he gave clear signals of giving up on it in favor of pursuing tough economic sanctions. The public disclosure of the covert Iranian nuclear enrichment site came just on Friday in a statement released by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Just hours after it was made public, Obama, Sarkozy and Brown rebuked Iran and warned of new sanctions if Tehran does not open the facility to international inspectors by December. The stern faces and drama of the delivery of the news by these three leaders was a little surreal as watching them one had the impression of a surprise event while in fact the US and some other foreign spy services have been watching the site for years. Mr Obama learned about the new Iranian site in his intelligence briefing during the transition after his election and already this past July he had asked his staff to prepared a briefing in advance for the meetings of the G20 but not decision was made about it being presented. It is being said that the Iranians themselves found out the US and perhaps Israel knew about the site and decided to come “clean” with IAEA before being exposed. The agency then released the statement with the disclosure and Obama’s hand was forced. It has been speculated that perhaps the White House wanted to use the evidence as leverage for negotiations during the October 1 talks of the members of the UN security Council plus Germany and Iran. The main concern now is that with menacing rhetoric the US and its allies will increase the resolve of Iran to pursue its nuclear program instead of obeying the UN resolutions to halt its enrichment. And then there is the clear threat that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made in his UN address about a quick showdown. Obama, Sarkozy and Brown did not help yesterday. For the sake of the Middle East, and all of us, let us hope they cool the rhetoric before next week when the parties get together.
Even though is hard to believe in the announcement made by the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the UN inspectors could visit the facility, insisting that it was legal under existing agreements with the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency, the rush to a dangerous decision has to be avoided. If nothing else the world should remember that Iraq was attacked under the pretext that it had arms of mass destruction. Many deaths and destruction later the arms have not been found…