Axis of Evil, State #2
… Why has this now become a stakeholder
test for China, Russia and India? Because if the Iranian mullahs – who are now
awash in petro-dollars – know one thing, it is how to read power and weakness.
The Iranians know that the U.S. has already put all the sanctions on Iran that
it can. They seriously doubt that the Europeans will ever impose sanctions.
And – this is the key – even if the Security Council censures Iran, and Europe
miraculously joins the U.S. in imposing sanctions, the Iranians assume that
China, Russia and India (that's half the world) will never follow. …
Thomas
Friedman (Times Select)
Friedman needs to be rehabilitated after his wacky neocon collapse
on Iraq, but one thing is for sure, few know the Middle East better. It's up
to Russia, China and India, the new “Axis of Order,” as Friedman calls
it today in his op-ed.
The old Axis of Evil, State #2, which is Iran, isn't going to
listen to us anymore. Or to put it another way, we can't handle the situation
alone.
If Iran goes nuclear, we can kiss the Nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty buh-bye and say hello to a Middle East arms race. It's a fine kettle
of fish Bush has gotten us into now.
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