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Iran Deserves The Benefit Of Good Faith |
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Too often, the U.S. sets up a terrible incentive system whereby building a nuclear weapon becomes the only way for countries like Iran and North Korea to earn respect:
Are you a small, under-respected nation? Do you want to get the attention of the "big boys" and be taken seriously on the world stage? All you need to do is obtain a nuclear weapon and you'll be rolling in cash, favors, and prestige.
This seems to be the message the U.S. and others in the so-called "first world" are sending. Get a nuke and we'll take you seriously. Until then, we can and will ignore you. Clearly, this is a counterproductive message to send, as it encourages nuclear proliferation.
Instead of pushing countries like Iran up against the wall, a more balanced approach of carrots and sticks seems to work better. Case in point, as the saber-rattling coming from the Bush administration died down after our Intelligence Community concluded Iran shelved its nuclear program, Iran has continued to cooperate with weapons inspectors and allies have been slowly pressuring Iran to come to the table for talks.
In February, the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded that once again, Iran is continuing to make steady progress in assuring the world it isn't building a nuclear weapon:
The full text of the much awaited IAEA report on Iran’s nuclear activities can be found here. It is an important report that finally brings an end to almost all the technical issues that in the past five years have concerned the IAEA regarding Iran’s declared civilian nuclear program. Last August the Agency and Iran laid out a Workplan to resolve issues that related to Iran’s past activities and on every issue, except one, Iran’s responses were deemed by the IAEA as either consistent with the Agency’s own finding or not inconsistent with them.
In this report the Agency once again states unambiguously that it “has been able to continue to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran.”
Additionally, in the last few months, Iran has given the IAEA its nuclear reactor designs and reported to the IAEA on implementing internationally recognized safeguards against diverting nuclear material towards weapons production. Though progress is slow, Iran seems to be moving forward towards full disclosure of its program.
Iran's progress highlights the wisdom of a less aggressive approach. Saber-rattling only caused Iran's rulers to dig in their heels, content to play David to our Goliath. If the only thing Iran was hearing from the outside world was aggression, building a bomb made sense.
Now, with the pressure off, Iran is cooperating and new avenues of leverage have opened. Russia, historically a staunch supporter of Iran's right to enrich uranium, yesterday publicly pressured Iran to talk with the U.S. and other U.N. Security Council nations:
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin gave his statements in response to Iran's insistence that any negotiations to be had regarding the nuclear development program will take place merely between them, and the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"Their statements of a negative nature towards the negotiations are certainly not helpful and not constructive," said Churkin, as quoted by Press TV. "We hope that will change, because the only way to resolve this matter politically and diplomatically is through negotiations."
When Russia advocates Iran take an internationalist approach to the nuclear question, you know something has changed.
The issue really boils down to one of trust. You can either take Iran's actions as evidence of good faith, or you can continue to cast suspicion on everything they do. I'm not exactly sure what Iran did to earn our unending suspicion (though they have every right to be suspicious of us, given our history in their country), but at this juncture, it seems they deserve the benefit of the doubt.
As long as Iran is cooperating with the IAEA and moving ever so slowly towards reconciliation, blowhards like CIA Director Michael V. Hayden need to shut their mouths. Saber-rattling hasn't worked here in the past, and it won't work in the future. We should return Iran's gestures of good faith - especially surrounding issues as dire as nuclear proliferation - and we should continue the diplomacy and conversation.
There's a lot at stake. Let's not blow it.
