No Longer Black Humour

I've not been impressed with the resolve of our European friends to stand up to the Iranian mullahs to stop them from getting nuclear weapons. And no, setting new deadlines to stop doesn't count as resolve. Not outside of the Euro Zone anyway.

They talk and I really think they just want to talk until Iran goes nuclear and then say, "Oops. We tried. Bad luck. No use trying anymore. So how about a trade deal, eh?" Sadly for the Europeans, the Iranians haven't gone nuclear yet and the Euros seem to be running out of ways to talk, stall, and buy the Iranians time to go nuclear.


Back in December 2004, I wrote about the European negotiating strategy:

Phase 3 negotiations will be to agree to parity in nuclear weapons between the EU and Iran.

And last month I wrote in a similar vein about the infinite Euro patience over Iranian refusal to observe their deadlines:

In ten years, if present trends continue, I'm sure the EU will be giving Iran a deadline to halt their nuclear arsenal at 100 missiles and insist that they are absolutely forbidden to destroy any more Israeli cities.

Ha ha, right? As if the Europeans would do something that spineless! What a laugh.

Well don't laugh. Listen to this British MP:

My despairing feeling is that, in the case of Iran, we should admit that it's checkmate, as they say in Persian. The Iranians are one day going to possess a nuclear bomb; there is almost certainly nothing we can do about it; all our blustering and threats are pointless. Indeed, if all else fails, there may even be a case for giving the Iranians the bomb — that's right: maybe it is time for the Americans to take control themselves of this unstoppable programme.

If I am right in thinking that an Iranian bomb is not only inevitable, but also corresponds to the wishes of the people of Iran, then perhaps we could turn this whole thing on its head. Perhaps it is time to end the sense of terror, and suspicion, and escalating menace. Perhaps the Americans could actually assist with the technology, as they assist the United Kingdom, in return for certain conditions: that the Iranian leadership stops raving about attacking Israel, for instance, and that progress is made towards democracy, and so on.

The Iranian public might feel grateful, and engaged, and not demonised.

He thinks we should give Iran the bomb on the assumption that possessing the bomb will make the Iranians more responsible! The Iranians are just like the British were when we shared nuclear technology with them!

Can you friggin' believe this??!

I'm sad to say that in five years, another MP will argue that if only we'd nuke those pesky Jews in Palestine, the Iranians will become more responsible.

We've been letting the Europeans negotiate the end of Iran's nuclear weapons program on the assumption that failure would lead the Europeans to support our more kinetic efforts to stop Iran from going nuclear if needed.

We have clearly over-estimated the European willingness to stop Iran and under-estimated the ability of the Europeans to surrender without shame.

It will fall to us--as all hard problems do eventually--to solve the mullah problem in Iran.