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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| France's Sarkozy slams Irans nuclear program | |
| 2009-08-27 | |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] French President Nicolas Sarkozy threatened on Wednesday to press for tougher sanctions on Iran while developping nations agreed to back Iran's push to debate a ban on military attacks targeting nuclear facilities. In his annual address to France's ambassadors, Sarkozy lambasted the leadership of Iran and said tougher sanctions would have to be discussed if Tehran does not change its position on the contentious nuclear program that the West believes is aimed at developing a nuclear bomb.
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| Posted by:Fred |
| #6 I just don't know, liberal hawk. The countries around Israel have spent two generations vilifying the Jewish state in the most horrible terms, and I just don't know how to calculate the odds that a non-mullah Iranian government would not continue to sing that song. Saddam Hussein's government was not religious, nor is the government of Syria, but both were open and active enemies of Israel. Iraq is not, at this time, but recently Kurdish politicians have been censured for travelling there and for dealing with Israelis. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-08-27 23:13 |
| #5 Would a new government in Tehran discontinue progress toward nuclear weapons, liberal hawk? As far as I've been able to gather, pretty much the entire population supports the effort, as a matter of national pride, so it isn't merely a matter of driving out President Ahmadenijad or the ruling mullahs. So long as Iran works toward the bomb, Israel remains threatened. Some folks say that the population supports on pride, but when you look at actual quotes, its always "We support Iranian nuclear energy" not we support a bomb, or even we support enrichment. The Iranian govt has deliberately elided the distinctions between a bomb program, an enrichment program, and an atomic energy program, in both its domestic and foreign propaganda. Until there is a free discussion in Iran, its not clear if the people (or a democractic govt) would be unwilling to strike a deal that lets them keep an atomic energy program, while giving up enrichment. But lets assume the worst, that they want a bomb anyway and regime change doesnt impact that. Well, Pakistan has a bomb. Israel lives with that. The assumption being A. Pakistan is not obsessed with Israel and B. the govt of pakistan is rational (in at least the we dont want to get blown up, and we dont expect a hidden mahdi to save us sense of "rational") and so, deterrable. Is there any reason to think a new regime in Iran, with no more official role for mullahs, with the Rev Guard dissolved, with the khomeinists sidelined, would not be rational and deterrable? |
| Posted by: liberal hawk 2009-08-27 16:47 |
| #4 It's a strange world where the President of France is the last conservative hope for the hawkish line on non-proliferation. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2009-08-27 13:44 |
| #3 Would a new government in Tehran discontinue progress toward nuclear weapons, liberal hawk? As far as I've been able to gather, pretty much the entire population supports the effort, as a matter of national pride, so it isn't merely a matter of driving out President Ahmadenijad or the ruling mullahs. So long as Iran works toward the bomb, Israel remains threatened. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-08-27 11:29 |
| #2 the effectiveness of actual sanctions as well. AFAICT, it was the sanctions imposed so far, limited though they are, that impacted Irans economy enough to create opposition to Dinnerjacket beyond the intellectual class, and that thus led to the election stealing, and the street protests, whose full impact has not necessarily been fully played out. We may yet see regime change in Teheran. And we have not yet seen the impact of much tougher sanctions. Blame BHO for eagerness to engage. Blame Russia and China for threatening to veto tougher sanctions. Blame IAEA types and lefty pundits for minimizing the urgency. But dont blame Sarko, who, afaict, is pushing for a harder line as much as can. No one in euroland is going to go for force before trying real sanctions first - this is hardline a position as will fly over there. Sarko should be commended for it. |
| Posted by: liberal hawk 2009-08-27 10:14 |
| #1 Frances Sarkozy is Nicolas' sister I suppose... |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2009-08-27 08:22 |