The revelation that Iran was planning to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States by blowing up a restaurant he frequented in Washington, D.C. should finally put to rest any hopes that the regime in Tehran is a credible partner for peace. This brazen attempt to carry out a terrorist act on American soil, potentially killing Americans in the process, represents a significant and dangerous escalation that demands a firm and determined response from the U.S. and its allies.
The plot fits squarely into an overall pattern of warlike escalation on the part of Tehran: for some time now, the regime has been increasing its direct assistance and material support to the Taliban in Afghanistan and Shia extremists in Iraq -- two groups directly responsible for killing U.S. and NATO forces. Even worse, this past summer the U.S. unveiled evidence that Iran is directly aiding al-Qaeda, an alliance once thought unlikely. That Shia-controlled Iran is now aiding the Sunni perpetrators of 9/11 signals just how radical and intransigent the current leadership in Tehran has become.
How should the U.S. respond? First and foremost, we must reject the outdated notion that we are in a 'cold' or proxy war with Iran that should be dealt with in a diplomatic vacuum. Iran is directly responsible for killing U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is now plotting to kill Americans and foreign diplomats inside U.S. borders. That is the definition of a 'hot' war, and U.S. policymakers must accept that, particularly since Iran is aggressively pursuing a nuclear weapons capability. If Iran is a threat now, imagine it with the capability to launch a nuclear terror attack against the U.S. or its allies.
Second, the U.S. must aggressively pursue a strategy to isolate Iran further -- much further. Outrageously, a number of international companies like Nokia-Siemens, Fiat, Honeywell, and Daelim still do business in Iran, many of them in Iran's energy sector, which is dominated by known terrorist entities like the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The hard currency these business activities provide Iran directly funds its ability to acquire and develop weapons of mass destruction, and pursue terrorist activities around the globe.
United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has worked hard at the grassroots level to pressure companies into ending their irresponsible business activities in Iran. Yet in the case of the many international companies that continue to do business there, it is necessary for governments to act. The U.S. and international community must make clear, through the imposition of much tougher sanctions, that doing business in Iran will no longer be tolerated. This requires serious action, including sanctioning Iran's Central Bank to sever the regime from the international financial system, imposing an asset freeze and travel ban on top Iranian officials, banning imports of Iranian oil, and passing legislation such as the Iran Transparency and Accountability Act, which would require companies that avail themselves of U.S. capital markets to publicly disclose their Iran business.
In the event the UN Security Council will be unwilling to adopt these sanctions given likely Chinese and Russian vetoes, the U.S., EU, Asian allies, and other like-minded nations should harmonize efforts and adopt coordinated multilateral sanctions that will give Iran no choice but to change course.
Third, the U.S. and other countries must work to actively support pro-democratic elements in Iran. It is no coincidence that Iran ramped up its efforts to aggressively crack down on internal protests earlier this year, as its neighbors were dealing with uprisings like those the regime faced in 2009 and 2010. Back then, the U.S. was reluctant to support the protestors due to the mistaken assumption that the current leadership in Tehran could be persuaded into peace. Now, it's time to get serious. As part of a strategy to support opposition groups in Iran, America should state clearly and unequivocally that it no longer bestows any legitimacy on the current regime in Iran, and U.S. policy should affirm that.
President Obama extended an olive branch to Iran within the first two months of his taking office in 2009. Yet since then, Iran has responded by killing U.S. forces, aiding al-Qaeda, and plotting to detonate an explosive device at an American restaurant. The Iranian regime has been emboldened by American inaction and reliance on diplomatic overtures, and the U.S. should now make clear that it is willing to respond to acts of war by Iran with swift and effective financial and military action.
Iran clearly sees itself as a nation at war with the U.S. It is time for America to recognize that grim reality, and act accordingly.
Ambassador Mark D. Wallace is President of United Against Nuclear Iran. He served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Representative for U.N. Management and Reform. Frances Townsend is a member of the United Against Nuclear Iran Advisory Board. She served as Assistant to President George W. Bush for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and chaired the Homeland Security Council.
Sheryl Saperia and Mark Dubowitz: Why Has Canada Not Yet Banned Iran's Terrorist Organization?
And has ever since ahmadinnerjacket and others took US diplomats hostage in 1979. Clearly a mufti-faceted response of sanctions, destabilization, economic war, and other means should be put in place. But that will have to wait until after jug-ears is out of office.
Thanks for the correction.
Happy "Cyrus the Great Day" to all!
To demonstrate the fallacy of the basic premise of United Against Nuclear Iran, one needs only to look at their Web site, where the headline is:
"Iran Engagement Clock: President Obama has extended a hand of peace to Iran for 1042 days ...."
Nothing could be further from the truth. Obama has been even more belligerent than Bush in his approach to Iran. I don't have the patience to repeat the obvious. On every turn, Obama has refused to compromise with Iran, imposing multiple sanctions on that country. His disingenuousness is so obvious that it does not need to be repeated. Well, let the US impose more sanctions on Iran. Iran has turned every sanction into an opportunity for self-reliance and further scientific and economic advancement. In the meantime, Obama can polish is Nobel Peace Prize and contemplate more wars.
The very notion of Iran aiding Sunni reactionary causes is very dubious. Iran and Saudi Arabia, the source of Sunni activism and Al Quaida terror, are rivals.
Does it make sense?
For the most part I can agree with this. But now to experiment lets turn this phrase on its head to understand how Iran sees the world.
"The realization that the USA invaded and toppled Iraq, on our western border, and Afghanistan on our eastern border should finally put to rest any hopes that the authorities in Washington are credible partners for peace."
Could anything be more enlightening to explain their commitment to developing nuclear weapons as soon as possible? Especially when you realize that having nuclear weapons has made North Korea essentially invasion proof. Iran is more afraid of you, than you are of them, with considerable justification too.
If you really are interested in talking Iran back from the ledge posturing and bluster such as this is not going to provide the outcome you seek. Frankly, at this stage nothing will in my opinion. History has too polluted relations for this to end any other way than with Iran developing their own domestic bomb.
"Neocons Form New Anti-Iran Group With Suspect Bi-Partisan Claim"
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2008/09/12/neocons-form-new-anti-iran-group/
http://www.emptywheel.net/2011/10/26/confirmed-government-hid-and-is-still-hiding-manssor-arbabsiars-first-docket/
LOL! "According to Iran" there was no Holocaust and 9/11 was orchestrated by the CIA. The Interpol has not denied THAT, either.
"So not only are they hiding the original basis of his arrest from us–US citizens and the world community, to whom the government claimed this is an international incident. But they’re hiding parts of this earlier complaint even from the public defender tasked to actually represent this guy."
http://www.emptywheel.net/2011/10/26/confirmed-government-hid-and-is-still-hiding-manssor-arbabsiars-first-docket/