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Extending Negotiations with Iran

(Weekly Standard) Reuel Marc Gerecht - Olli Heinonen, the former number two at the IAEA, is convinced Iran has illicitly imported enough carbon fiber to manufacture 5,000 advanced IR-2 centrifuges, more than enough for a rapid, clandestine nuclear "sneak-out." The IAEA doesn't know where this carbon fiber is; the regime refuses to reveal verifiably its location and use. Without an Additional Protocol Plus married to full disclosure by Tehran of its research and development into the militarization of its nuclear work, the U.S. is simply incapable of ascertaining whether and how Tehran may be cheating. In his memoirs, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tells us that during his time as Iran's chief nuclear negotiator between 2003 and 2005, the Western threat of sanctions and the Iranian fear of war with the U.S. spooked Tehran, rendering the clerical regime amenable to negotiations and a pause in its push for nuclear weapons. Congress and the president need to follow Rouhani's advice. Increase the pressure. Don't be scared of Ali Khamenei. We still hold the high ground. Use it or lose it. The writer is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
2014-12-01 00:00:00
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