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What are we to do about the nuclear ambitions of an tyrannically run country, with an oppressive record of human rights violations? How about treating it as an sovereign state with the same rights as our country?

The Iranian government is tyrannical. It's corrupt and it has a heavy record of human rights violations. All this explains the sea of people protesting in the country in city streets since the disputed June presidential election. The tides of discontent have been ebbing and flowing for years, tempered by things like the near-decade long war with Iraq and fueled by the regime's own harsh crackdowns.

The 1979 revolution was the result of decades of friction between the Iranian population and the U.S.-back Shah. It didn't happen overnight, and the struggle to change the current regime's policies will take a lot of time and pain. As an Iranian with family there, I don't say this lightly.

So, there's all that.

Then there's the more immediate story of the multinational political throw down over Iran's nuclear program. This tense dance, make note, is just part of the process. And once the music stops, we will still be left to deal with each other.

Taking military action against Iran would be foolish. Actually, it would be light-up-the-sky stupid. A détente is inevitable, and here's why:

The only workable solution is a diplomatic one. It won't be easy and, no, the Iranian government isn't always an ideal diplomatic ally. But why... >>>