Is Obama containing Iran
Max Bergmann argues that UN sanctions are in fact just one piece of the Obama administration's comprehensive, and under-appreciated, effort to contain Iran:
While the effort at the UN has been the most visible aspect of the Administrationâ??s Iran policy, it has taken other steps to contain and isolate Iran. Militarily, the administration has reoriented US missile defense plans in Europe so that they are more focused and effective in countering the Iranian missile threat. Through General Petraeus the Administration has sped up missile defenses in the Persian Gulf. They have also reassured Iranâ??s Arab neighbors of US commitment to their security in an effort to stave off potential cascade of nuclear proliferation throughout the region. Ideologically, through its broader outreach to the Muslim world and by developing a direct dialogue with the Iranian people the Administration has helped undercut Iranâ??s ideological appeal in the region.Internationally, the administration has been able to increase Iranâ??s isolation and box it into a corner at the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference so that it was forced to sign on to a consensus document supporting the tenets of the treaty that prohibits them from having a nuclear weapon or risk being the lone country to veto. And by directly engaging Iran in talks and by not closing the door to diplomatic talks, the Obama administration has clearly shown the world that the intransigent party is Iran, not the United States. This has built up international support for punitive measures against Iran.
I think Bergmann is right that this is the administration's policy but I wonder whether it's a wise one. Does the U.S. really want to form even tighter partnerships with Arab autocrats? By my reckoning, there are far more Arabs and citizens of ostensibly allied Middle East regimes in al Qaeda than Iranians. We might want to ponder the implications of that.
(AP Photo)
