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The United States, Israel, and Iran: Defusing an "Existential" Threat

[Arms Control Today] Chuck Freilich - Iran is an existential threat to Israel. This apocalyptic warning call has become a mantra continually repeated by virtually all Israeli leaders and defense officials and has been adopted by much of the U.S. national security establishment. What can be done to forestall an Iranian nuclear weapon? Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns recently participated in negotiations with Iran over the nuclear issue. Others have floated the idea of establishing an interests section in Tehran. Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama speaks of engagement as a necessity. On all sides - the U.S., Europe, and Israel - the preference for a diplomatic solution is manifest. At this point, conditional but all-out engagement, limited in time and closely combined with stringent multilateral sanctions, rapidly followed by a naval blockade, appear to hold the best prospects for success at an acceptable cost, possibly even without bloodshed. Hopefully, further measures will not be required down the line. In any event, let us not engage in unwarranted, self-deterring risk aversion. Iran at least has a good appreciation of the true balance of power and for power politics. The writer, a former deputy national security adviser in Israel, is a senior fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and a Schusterman fellow.
2008-11-05 01:00:00
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