(Foreign Policy) Aaron David Miller - The Israeli capture of a freighter carrying high-trajectory weapons from Iran to Gaza is reminiscent of a similar episode - the seizure of the Karine A in January 2002 carrying tons of weapons shipped from Iran to the Palestinian Authority. Karine A marked the beginning of the end of Jerusalem and Washington's efforts to even consider Arafat part of the solution. The weapons seizure validates and legitimizes Israel's concern that Iran's regional game is still the same. It should be obvious to the Obama administration by now that while Iran may be sending signals that it's ready for some kind of negotiated solution on the nuclear issue, that hardly means it has changed its spots on other issues. It boggles the mind to believe that the administration would be in a position to lift comprehensive sanctions if Iran is still backing the murderous Assad and supplying Hamas with weapons that can target Israeli population centers. This episode will only add to the obvious reality that while the Iranian nuclear issue is the hottest issue on the agenda, it isn't the only one. Removing sanctions will not only depend on a resolution of the nuclear issue but on reformed Iranian behavior. It is a fantasy for Iran to feel as though it can continue to negotiate with the U.S. while supplying the enemies of its allies. The writer, a vice-president and distinguished scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, served for two decades as an adviser to secretaries of state on the Arab-Israeli peace process.
2014-03-07 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive