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Is the Military Option Back on the Table?

(Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University) Ephraim Kam - During July, a few voices in the U.S., including former CIA head Gen. Michael Hayden, called for a reassessment of a military option against Iran. It appears that a certain change is emerging among certain elements in the American security establishment regarding the military option. The change of tone stems primarily from growing skepticism concerning the effectiveness of sanctions, and that at the end of the day, sanctions alone will not stop Iran's quest for nuclear weapons. Do these sentiments reflect a change in the American administration's stance regarding the military option? Not yet. As long as the administration believes that political moves, including the most recent round of sanctions, have not yet been exhausted, it will not tap a military option. But even if the administration continues to disapprove of military measures at this juncture, it apparently feels the need to draw attention to a military option in order to beef up the pressure of the sanctions on Iran. A second objective is to increase the pressure on other governments, specifically Russia and China, to cooperate with the implementation of the sanctions, with the implicit message that if they do not achieve the desired results, the administration will have no choice but to resort to military action.
2010-08-11 09:19:41
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