“The message that sends to Iran is that in 10, 20 years, you can have your own nuclear weapons program, too, and this is the path,” Ruggiero, who regularly testifies before Congress, said at the Heritage Foundation. “North Korea is laying out the path. So I think we have to be careful. Who is looking at whom? Is it North Korea’s looking at Iran, or is it Iran looking at North Korea?”
If we accept North Korea as a nuclear state, Iran will follow. I suspect North Korea will sell nukes or just the technology to Iran.
But even if we can contain North Korea's nukes within their borders, the precedent is set for Iran to follow on their own.
I actually assume the problem isn't so much that Iran will see North Korea as a green light, but allies will wonder why they should follow us to stop Iran when we gathered allies to stop North Korea and then let North Korea go nuclear.
I'm sure our friends would appreciate having a target painted on their back for opposing North Korea with us only to see America back down--we with lots of nukes to deter North Korea if we have to and our regional allies without any.
Which will encourage allies to shut up when we go calling for allies to confront Iran, eh?
And I guarantee you that there will be people in America who will allege that opposing Iran's nuclear ambitions while accepting--however reluctantly--North Korea's nuclear status is tantamount to a "Moslem ban" on nukes and therefore is "unfair."
