Just Say No to Iran

Tony Blair, for reasons yet unknown, seems to be backing away from his strong partnership with President Bush regarding Iran and Syria, the Times Online reports. Bush, who has long held the view that the two countries are part of the "axis of evil," is getting the Downing St. cold shoulder as Blair begins to sound more and more like Kofi Annan. Forget all that passe sabre-rattling of the past; if Iran continues supporting terrorism in Iraq (and, may I remind the PM, in Lebanon...remember Hezbollah?) and does not stop its nuclear weapons ambitions, then let it be known that full-scale isolation will ensue. To borrow from the Jerry Springer show, "I know he just didn't."

Yes he did. If Iran doesn't cooperate then it will face international time-out. And just like children who laugh in the face of parents who practice this, Iran will only resume its bad behavior once "isolation" is over. It's no accident that President Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong-il are big buddies; Chairman Kim has been working the UN for years now.

What does isolation mean anyway? That Iran won't get into the international gentlemen's club? That it will be denied the right to talk an issue to death until no one remembers what caused the discussion in the first place? I'm sure President Ahmadinejad will be wringing his hands over that until the 12th imam emerges from the well.

The reality is that Ahmadinejad is doing things his way. He wants to be the strong man in the Middle East and an usher of Islamic fundamentalist rule. He sees the potential power vacuum in Iraq and will not be shy about trying to fill it. After all, it was only twenty years ago that the two countries were at war. He has turned Syria into a puppet-state and recently waged a proxy war with Israel in Lebanon. Most fearful, perhaps, for the U.S. and its ally Israel is Ahmadinejad's quest for a nuclear weapon. For him, this represents real power: the power to bargain and, if that fails, to demand. Or, if you like, the power to get into the gentlemen's club and, barring that, to destroy it altogether.

It is becoming apparent to me in all of this that the approach to Iran is all carrot and no stick. Internationalists continue to offer incentives in the hope that this will prompt good behavior rather than demanding that good behavior preclude any rewards. They threaten isolation for the same reason that many parents send their kid to his or her room: because they either abhor or fear the traditional alternative. For progeny's sake, let's hope the world soon learns to discipline Iran.