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Old Jan 20, 2005, 01:41 pm   #19 (permalink) (top)
ericsp23
Pragmatic liberal
 
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There must be a constant political pressure on Iran - by all the countries - to give up its nuclear "ambitions", especially since the production of Iranian oil is good enough to support Iran's demands for energy
This is a two way street though. The West has to make it clear to Iran that their is some benefit to them if they give up their nuclear ambitions. As long as belligerent rhetoric is coming out of Washington we cannot realistically expect Iran to stop researching these weapons.
Think of it from their point of view. They have been lumped into an "Axis of Evil" along with Iraq and North Korea. North Korea probably has nukes, and Iraq doesn't. Iraq was invaded, but we are negotiating with North Korea, even though, arguably, North Korea was and is the bigger threat to American security. Now, if you are the third member of this Axis of Evil, which camp would you rather be in? The one with nukes, or the one without? The Iranians have to see that, if they comply, the years of theats from Washington will stop, and they have to believe that they will be allowed to govern without outside interference.
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