![](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/07\/hassan-rouhani-005.jpg\" "\\"hassan-rouhani-005\\"")
Source: The Boston HeraldBy: Clifford D. May
There\u2019s nothing wrong with wishful thinking \u2014 unless it gets confused with serious thinking. Policymakers and legislators have a professional responsibility to resist that temptation.<\/p>\n
Source: The Boston Herald
By: Clifford D. May
There\u2019s nothing wrong with wishful thinking \u2014 unless it gets confused with serious thinking. Policymakers and legislators have a professional responsibility to resist that temptation.<\/p>\n
Yes, I have something in mind: A letter sent last week signed by 131 House members [including Bay State Reps. Michael Capuano, James McGovern, Richard Neal, John Tierney and Niki Tsongas] urging President Obama to \u201cpursue the potential opportunity presented by Iran\u2019s recent presidential election.\u201d Hasan Rouhani, the new president-elect, they say, \u201ccampaigned on the promise to \u2018pursue a policy of reconciliation and peace\u2019 and has since promised \u2018constructive interaction with the outside world.\u2019\u2009\u201d<\/p>\n
Should we not expect American politicians (of all people!) to demonstrate a little skepticism when it comes to \u201cpromises\u201d made by an Iranian politician? And how much research is required to figure out that Rouhani has said nothing even to suggest that he opposes Iran\u2019s support for terrorism abroad, gross violations of human rights at home, threats of genocide against Israelis and, of course, an illegal nuclear weapons program?<\/p>\n
There is a lot we don\u2019t know about Rouhani, but this much is obvious: He\u2019s a political clergyman, a loyal acolyte of Ali Khamenei, Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader and self-proclaimed \u201cshadow of God upon Earth.\u201d Were that not so, Khamenei would not permit Rouhani to become Iran\u2019s president. Remember: There were 686 registered candidates for the last election. Only eight were allowed to run.<\/p>\n
There are ways in which Rouhani is different. He speaks our language. He studied in Scotland. He certainly has insights into the peculiar psychology of the Westerner \u2014 which may explain why, when he served as Iran\u2019s lead nuclear negotiator a decade ago, he consistently ate the lunch of those on the other side of the table.<\/p>\n
Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, has taken the trouble to read what Rouhani has written over the years. He tells me that Rouhani has candidly stressed that \u201cone of the goals of his nuclear diplomacy was to create a wedge\u201d between the United States and its European allies so that Iran could import nuclear technology without incurring Western penalties. By contrast, the antagonistic approach of Rouhani\u2019s predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, raised Western hackles and brought painful sanctions.<\/p>\n
In other words, Rouhani\u2019s \u201cmoderation\u201d has been stylistic, not substantive. The evidence indicates that to him, \u201cconstructive interaction\u201d means persuading the enemy to let down his guard.<\/p>\n
Which is essentially what the congressmen propose \u2014 right after telling the president that Rouhani has \u201cpublicly expressed the view that obtaining a nuclear weapon would run counter to Iran\u2019s strategic interests.\u201d<\/p>\n
No, actually Rouhani has expressed the view that Iran\u2019s strategic interests are best served not by \u201ca\u201d nuclear weapon but by developing an industrial-size nuclear capability to manufacture dozens of them. Achieving that requires spinning centrifuges and stocking up on enriched uranium until there is enough for \u201cundetectable breakout\u201d \u2014 the ability to make weapons-grade uranium (or sufficiently reprocessed plutonium) so quickly that neither United Nations inspectors nor foreign intelligence agencies are aware it\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n
If the letter is bad advice, what should the congressmen be telling Obama instead? To stay on track \u2014 as they should be, too. Of the 131 signers of the letter, 86 also are co-sponsors of legislation authored by Ed Royce and Eliot Engel, the top Republican and Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which would establish a de facto oil embargo against Iran.<\/p>\n
In the coming months, American leaders will have to decide whether, on their watch, the world\u2019s leading sponsor of terrorism, a self-proclaimed revolutionary jihadist regime that calls America \u201cSatan incarnate,\u201d will be permitted to acquire the nuclear weapons it needs to dominate the Middle East and reshape the world order.<\/p>\n
How wonderful it would be if, within Iran\u2019s ruling elite, there were a moderate eager to avoid this confrontation and establish amicable relations. But that is not reality. If wishes were horses, 131 members of congress would be galloping down Pennsylvania Avenue this week. It\u2019s their job to dismount, and plant their feet firmly on the ground.<\/p>\n
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Source: The Boston HeraldBy: Clifford D. MayThere’s nothing wrong with wishful thinking — unless it gets confused with serious thinking. Policymakers and legislators have a professional responsibility to resist that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":40262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[175],"class_list":{"0":"post-14258","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-iran-a-world","8":"tag-updated"},"yoast_head":"\n