Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Iran and the Bomb: Defusing Tensions

A proposal to promote regional stability

By Alon Ben-Meir | JANUARY 7, 2008

the cover of America, the Catholic magazineA lthough the recently published National Intelligence Estimate has changed the nature of the international discussion about Iran’s nuclear ambition, it has not answered the question of Iran’s ultimate intention to acquire nuclear weapons. Whereas the intelligence estimate suggests with “high probability” that Iran froze its nuclear weapons program in 2003, neither the United States nor Israel, distrustful of Iran’s intentions, believe that the findings warrant a new reconciliatory approach toward Iran. Yet the new report offers the Bush administration an opportunity and imposes a new obligation to engage Iran through direct and unconditional negotiations in an effort to defuse the nuclear issue and substantially improve the prospects for regional stability.


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