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The Failure of "Engagement" with Iran
(Jerusalem Post) Ephraim Asculai - The "engagement" process, the diplomatic effort to achieve at least a short halt in Iran's nuclear progress, has been failing for more than a decade, and the increasing sanctions levied by the UN Security Council, the EU and the U.S. have done very little to assist the futile diplomatic process. Economic sanctions have a rather poor record of success. A different trend of stronger sanctions should hit Iranian pride and dignity. They should include ostracism from the world community and suspension from international fora and sports events. Such measures could get Iran's attention more than the slow-moving economic sanctions with their extensive waivers and persistent world trade in oil and commodities. A 2013 paper from The Iran Project, by 35 dignitaries, former U.S. officials and outside experts, says "a strengthened diplomatic track that includes the promise of sanctions relief in exchange for verifiable cooperation could help to end the standoff and produce a nuclear deal." Yet, given the urgency of the issue due to the rapid progress of the Iranian nuclear program, it is very unfortunate that these officials behave as if there were all the time in the world to restart the diplomatic process, reduce the pressure on Iran and put all the cards on the diplomatic front. The suggested combination of sanctions easements, the very mild and only hinted-at U.S. threat of military action, and the obvious military nature of Iran's nuclear ambitions is alarming. The author is a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.