Thursday's UK Guardian contains a story that should give Americans a bad case of the yips. No sooner has the Libyan adventure ended than reports surface about a possible US military attack against Iran. The purpose is obvious. America has been nervous for quite awhile about the possibility that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons. They are, according to us, a rogue sponsor of terror who can't be trusted with the world's most destructive weapon.
Of course, the Iranians don't see it that way, but that's neither here nor there. The central question the Guardian piece raises is whether the US, Britain, and other fellow travelers are ready to put Iran's nuclear program out of business. Trust me, it won't be by gentle persuasion. Are we now ready for yet another war? Sure President Obama is pulling the troops out of Iraq, and Libya is done. But a single military strike, by drone, F-16, whatever, will indicate to the world that America and its NATO allies are using the so-called Libyan model to target an enemy.
Am I the only person who has a really bad feeling about this? The British are reportedly ramping up their own military preparedness in the event the US decides to move forward. To be fair, the Guardian says President Obama doesn't want to take action until after the 2012 election. His hand may reportedly forced by an IAEA report that says the Iranians are ramping up their program, leading some to think they're developing weapons.
In a perfect world, nobody would have nukes. Despite protestations to the contrary, the US, the only country to use nuclear weapons, now seeks to determine who gets to have them and who doesn't. The real solution to the Iranian nuclear program is disarmament, but we all know that won't happen anytime soon. In its absence, diplomacy, as messy and non productive as it sometimes seems, is the real answer. Anything but the prospect of endless war.
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