What Iran's refusal on Nuclear Enrichment Can Mean for New Middle East Hostilities

Steiner for CongressP.O. Box 2008Concord, NH  03302FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Congressional candidate Jim Steiner spent time in Israel while a Special Forces soldier.  This election will prove critical in electing to Congress experienced members capable of addressing international crisis such as that occurring with Iran.  Jim comments about the failure in the U.N./Iranian nuclear enrichment negotiations July 19 amid the presence of a high-ranking U.S. State Department official:"The failure by Iran to negotiate the issue of its nuclear enrichment program is both a destabilizing action, and the single-most likely reason hostilities could begin anew in the Middle East.  The Iranian envoy made it clear a freeze on nuclear enrichment by Iran was 'nonnegotiable.'  A new two-week deadline for Iran now ticks away.  The position by Iran will prove unacceptable to all countries, but in particular Israel.  It is Iranian leaders who constantly claim the destruction of Israel is a desired goal.  The United States made a strong move in sending Secretary William Burns, a State Department official, to sit at the table with the Iranian envoy. His presence reinforces the signal that this country stands behind the current "five plus one" offer by the U.N. Security Council members and Germany to lift sanctions against Iran in return for verifiable inspections that Iran will not pursue a weapons grade uranium enrichment program. Iran needs to listen. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad needs to listen. The stakes are high.

Israel held a rehearsal over the Mediterranean of a simulated long-range deep-penetration air strike demonstrating it can reach Iranian nuclear facilities. It has done so previously against Iraq and Syria. The continued stall by Iran serves as an indication it is hoping to complete an enrichment program before having to conclude the game. It is unlikely Israel will allow the enrichment process to cross a line Israel considers too great a risk. The window of opportunity closes more each day. The diplomatic effort is essential, but delay by Iran may be the cause for hostilities that otherwise could be avoided.

Iran is a country whose leadership routinely has fired off rhetoric calling for the destruction of Israel. This is a country that continues to support financially and militarily the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, as well as continuing to supply weapons in Iraq to combat U.S. troops. This is a country that in recent years held an international conference to denounce the Holacaust as a fraud.

If Iran fails to listen, and fails to assess properly the risks against it, hostilities are likely to occur. It is not likely, however, that the President or the U.S. Congress will be required to consider war with Iran even should Iran declare war against the United States. Iran, even with its missile force, can project itself only within the confines of the Persian Gulf region.

The United States will be required to defend itself if Israel concludes it must attack, as Iran's radical leaders have made it clear it will treat an Israeli attack as being an attack by the United States. That reasoning is well-understood on many levels, including the fact that the United States offers far more potential targets Iran can actually reach from its country than does Israel, including our naval forces in the Persian Gulf. Suffice it to note, however, that our military is already on war alert in the Persian Gulf and remains quite capable of defending itself.

Once again in history, this time in Iran, a country has leadership that promotes extreme positions. All signs point to it trying to develop a weapon capable of much greater damage than the conventional munitions otherwise in its arsenal. I applaud the diplomatic change of events that put a U.S. senior official at the same table as an Iranian senior envoy on the subject of suspending Iran's nuclear enrichment program. Iran rebuffed that effort.  The United States and Congress must stand by our ally Israel. We must continue to pursue with all diligence and effort diplomatic solutions to resolve this nuclear crisis no differently than we resolved the Cuban missile crisis, and no differently than diplomatic efforts appear to be bearing fruit with N. Korea. However, if it becomes necessary to support Israel taking military action to preserve the safety of her country, Congress must be counted upon to provide that support. My vote as a member of congress will be in support of our ally Israel."