(Weekly Standard) Reuel Marc Gerecht - Although the Islamic Republic is moving ever closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon, the ruling caste - Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in particular - has not been adroit in advancing the cause. Western indecision, timidity, and greed rather than Iranian diplomatic skill and strategic acumen have permitted the steady progress of the nuclear program. It's now entirely conceivable that the Europeans will follow the American lead in responding to any Israeli preemptive strike. Senior French officials regularly suggest that Paris could not stand idly by and watch Iran or the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hizbullah retaliate against Israel, where more than 100,000 French Jews are often in residence. For good reason, Jerusalem is no longer seriously concerned about an EU boycott after an Israeli strike. The recently published biography of supreme leader Khamenei - Sharh-e Ism (Explanation of the Name), written by Hedayatollah Behboodi and funded by the Iranian intelligence ministry - shows a man obsessed with Islamic ethics, fearful of and tempted by Western culture, and filled with venom toward those who don't recognize his worth. Khamenei is obsessed with stopping the Western cultural invasion of his country, which he sees as a largely American plot. Obama thought that the differences between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic were largely the product of misunderstanding and American hubris. Obama extended his hand. Seeing the devil, Khamenei recoiled. In his speech in March before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the president pledged that he would not allow the Islamic Republic to acquire a bomb: "Iran's leaders should understand that I do not have a policy of containment." If Tehran stockpiles enough 20% uranium to make several atomic bombs, which will happen next year, it will become extremely difficult to claim that Iran hasn't yet become a nuclear-weapons state. And if Iran obtains nuclear arms, Khamenei would have defeated the U.S. - the West - in an epic struggle.
2012-08-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive