A Second Chance

With tensions escalating after Iran decided to re-start its nuclear program this week, the US and the UK are in a position to learn from the situation with Iraq three years ago. Iran claims the program was re-started solely as a means for peaceful energy production; the Western countries are skeptical, to say the least.

Some conservatives are fond of using the argument that we're in Iraq, so we might as well deal with that fact and put aside questions of how we got there. This escalating situation with Iran proves them wrong. Not only should the US and the UK be more cautious about their accusations concerning the existence of WMDs this time around, there should also be more thought given to forms of diplomacy that could alleviate the tension without the loss of thousands of lives.

For their part, the Iranian government is certainly not backing away from threats by Western nations to report the situation to the UN Security Council. According to one cleric, "If they cause any disturbance, they will ultimately regret it." Iran is positioning itself as an independent, underdog nation that's not fearful of pressures put on them by "the powers," as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad put it. He also stated, making an interesting point, "They falsely say that they oppose nuclear weapons. They want to have nuclear monopoly to sell it drop by drop at an expensive price and use it as an instrument for domination over nations."

The question remains, how will the US and the UK handle this one? With a State of the Union address just around the corner, we may find out soon.