[Washington Post ] Jim Hoagland - Polarization and conflict help Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad maintain his somewhat shaky grip on power and money. His rocket-rattling makes clear to all concerned, including his own diplomats, that he doesn't need no stinkin' peace conferences. Regional war jitters were initially sparked in early June by the staging of Israeli aerial maneuvers in Greece. Scheduled long ago, the high-altitude joint maneuvers have been widely misinterpreted as preparation for a strike against Iran. Israeli Ambassador Sallai Meridor emphasized to me last week that, "Sanctions on insurance and maritime and air transportation would raise the cost of Iran's doing business. But effective sanctions on the import of refined petroleum products could be a game-changer," since Iran produces crude oil but lacks refining capacity. The world's oil companies "should not sell gasoline that is used by Iran's nuclear scientists and its terror chiefs to drive to 'work,'" Meridor said.
2008-07-14 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive