(Wall Street Journal) Matthew Levitt - U.S. backpedaling over sanctions related to Iran's ballistic missile program could send a dangerous signal, effectively inviting Tehran to test the boundaries of what violations it can get away with. The measures were intended to show Washington's willingness to hold Tehran accountable for illicit conduct after Iran tested a new ballistic missile that a UN panel said was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1929. By backing off sanctions over Iran's ballistic missile test - and fairly insignificant sanctions at that - the Obama administration has left the impression that, contrary to its repeated pledges, it may not enforce current sanctions or impose new ones should Tehran violate UN Security Council resolutions or the nuclear deal. The writer, a former deputy assistant Treasury secretary for intelligence and analysis, directs the Stein program on counterterrorism and intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2016-01-05 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive