[Times-UK] Editorial - Iran is smuggling men and weapons into Iraq in huge quantities, arming not only Shia militias but also rival Sunni groups with the express aim of harassing and killing coalition troops. President Ahmadinejad boasted earlier this week that the Americans were on the run, and said that when they pulled out they would leave an opening for his forces. For the past six months, Washington has warned Iran to stop supplying weapons to the insurgents in Iraq. The response has been not only a contemptuous denial but also the dispatch of Iranian Revolutionary Guards to other areas of confrontation. If Iran is deaf to warnings from Washington, it should not ignore the tough new language in Europe. With unambiguous clarity, French President Sarkozy said on Monday that a nuclear-armed Iran was unacceptable; unless the world reined in its program, the only alternative was "an Iranian bomb or the bombing of Iran." His language was aimed as much at Russia and China as Tehran. Both have posed as Iran's friends and protectors to shield it from UN sanctions. Both should be realistic. Russia does not want another nuclear power on its southern flank. China is deeply worried about chaos in Afghanistan. It is time that it, too, confronted Iran.
2007-08-30 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive