2008 Woodie Awards
All is Fair in Love and Nuclear Power
Brian Dean
Issue date: 3/1/06 Section: Opinion
Iran's nuclear program continues to worry the International Atomic Energy Agency along with the United Nations' Security Council.
Officials claim their nuclear ambitions are limited to civilian use; Iranian threats against Israel must put assertions of peaceful use of nuclear material in doubt.
But as a sovereign nation with a democratically elected president, Iran should enjoy the same right to self-determination as any nation of the world.
Enriched uranium, the centerpiece to nuclear power and nuclear weapons, remains the sticking point in negotiations between Iran and its neighbors Russia and China.
Russia has offered to provide Iran with uranium suitable for use in nuclear power plants in exchange for Iran's promise to not produce their own. China's role so far has been to encourage Iran to accept the solution. But why should Iran be forced to rely on other nations for vital resources, especially if the political will to provide such a resource can be turned off under the right conditions?
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems to be well aware of the world's opinion of Iran. Accordingly, he's reluctant to approve any deal that takes the power of Iran's prosperity out of Iranian hands.
Possibly taking a lesson from the ongoing 44-year United States embargo against Cuba, Ahmadinejad will not (and should not, as a responsible head of state) allow another nation to stand in the way of self-sufficiency.
"But they have oil," a popular argument goes. "Why do they need nuclear power with such vast proven oil reserves under their feet?"
Perhaps a better question would be "Why should they follow the West's example for oil consumption?" With the benefit of hindsight, Iran is able to better plan for future oil usage than the U.S. in its heyday of consuming homegrown oil.
With the ever-present question of peak oil combined with increasing worldwide demand, the value of Iran's oil reserves can only increase the longer it stays in the ground.
Of course it doesn't benefit the U.S. to keep the bulk of Iranian oil off the market, but it certainly does for Iran. Shouldn't they have the right to do what's strategically and economically important for their people?
As for the fear of secretly developing nuclear weapons, one only needs to look at the difference in handling the other members of the Axis of Evil.
Iraq, who was known to be without nuclear weapons was invaded, while North Korea, known to possess them, gets the courtesy of conversation. Obviously not blind to global politics, President Ahmadinejad may indeed want to acquire what it takes to prevent military action between the U.S.
At best, Iran is honest about its desire for civilian nuclear power. At worst, Iran is wiped off the map after having the audacity to initiate nuclear war. Unlikely though, if their goal is to be a self-sufficient nation.
Officials claim their nuclear ambitions are limited to civilian use; Iranian threats against Israel must put assertions of peaceful use of nuclear material in doubt.
But as a sovereign nation with a democratically elected president, Iran should enjoy the same right to self-determination as any nation of the world.
Enriched uranium, the centerpiece to nuclear power and nuclear weapons, remains the sticking point in negotiations between Iran and its neighbors Russia and China.
Russia has offered to provide Iran with uranium suitable for use in nuclear power plants in exchange for Iran's promise to not produce their own. China's role so far has been to encourage Iran to accept the solution. But why should Iran be forced to rely on other nations for vital resources, especially if the political will to provide such a resource can be turned off under the right conditions?
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems to be well aware of the world's opinion of Iran. Accordingly, he's reluctant to approve any deal that takes the power of Iran's prosperity out of Iranian hands.
Possibly taking a lesson from the ongoing 44-year United States embargo against Cuba, Ahmadinejad will not (and should not, as a responsible head of state) allow another nation to stand in the way of self-sufficiency.
"But they have oil," a popular argument goes. "Why do they need nuclear power with such vast proven oil reserves under their feet?"
Perhaps a better question would be "Why should they follow the West's example for oil consumption?" With the benefit of hindsight, Iran is able to better plan for future oil usage than the U.S. in its heyday of consuming homegrown oil.
With the ever-present question of peak oil combined with increasing worldwide demand, the value of Iran's oil reserves can only increase the longer it stays in the ground.
Of course it doesn't benefit the U.S. to keep the bulk of Iranian oil off the market, but it certainly does for Iran. Shouldn't they have the right to do what's strategically and economically important for their people?
As for the fear of secretly developing nuclear weapons, one only needs to look at the difference in handling the other members of the Axis of Evil.
Iraq, who was known to be without nuclear weapons was invaded, while North Korea, known to possess them, gets the courtesy of conversation. Obviously not blind to global politics, President Ahmadinejad may indeed want to acquire what it takes to prevent military action between the U.S.
At best, Iran is honest about its desire for civilian nuclear power. At worst, Iran is wiped off the map after having the audacity to initiate nuclear war. Unlikely though, if their goal is to be a self-sufficient nation.
