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Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6956606.ece
Symbolic Gestures Won't Deter This Regime
(Times-UK) - Amir Taheri In 1992, acquisition of a nuclear arsenal became one of the three pillars of Iran's "defense doctrine," alongside the creation of a mass infantry, the so-called 20-million-man army, and the largest missile stockpile in the Middle East. Iran's bomb will destabilize the region and speed up a nascent nuclear arms race in the Middle East. With most regimes in the region, including the Iranian one itself, facing internal revolts, the risk of nuclear material falling into terrorist hands is a concern. It is still possible to raise the cost of Iran's nuclear ambitions by fully applying the sanctions already approved, but not implemented, by UN resolutions. These include tight control of exports of all dual-use material and equipment to Iran, the inspection and impounding of suspect cargos on board ships and aircraft, and the termination of Iranian access to credit facilities and banking services used for its illicit nuclear project.