NUCLEAR
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Here to stay
18-Jan-2008
The problem at the heart of the current controversy over the Iranian nuclear issue is not one of knowledge but of regulation. Believe it or not, at exactly 08:15 local time, August 6, 1945, “Little Boy” opened Pandora’s box of nuclear knowledge and all hell broke loose over Hiroshima. The world woke up to a new technology; steam and internal combustion were old; “fission” and “fusion” were the new buzzwords. The mysterious “unknown” atom had become “known” and engineers everywhere started looking at its potential utility and destructive ability.
Now, some 60 years later, some people think that they can turn back the clock to that pre-Hiroshima era of mystery. It cannot be done. Splitting the atom is common knowledge and everyone with a will or a reason can make use of it. It is impossible to put a lid on the propagation of knowledge, but it is certainly possible to regulate the resulting products and their use.
It takes a very small mind to think that nuclear science is a mystery. Nuclear science is part of the world curriculum and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people with the know-how to recreate “Little Boy” and its successor “Fat Man”. The issue, therefore, is not pontificating about who should or shouldn’t have the knowledge but rather, creating conditions where these weapons and their derivatives are not required or if they exist, there are means and regulations for their control.
Nuclear power is here to stay. In a pollution sensitive world, it is one of the few sources of power that does not have a carbon footprint, thus nuclear energy is a potential component of the power generation of any country. But nuclear science has a dark side: nuclear weapons. These pose an existentialist threat to all mankind. They are dangerous in anyone’s hands but, threatening countries with annihilation is a sure fire way of encouraging them to build these doomsday machines; it certainly won’t stop them!
So it is imperative to create conditions and regulations where such weapons are not required. Today the nuclear energy regime of the world is unregulated and veiled in secrecy. Countries can be in or out of the IAEA, they can sign or not sign the NPT, they opt in and out of the organizations at will. They can even be members one day and, when convenient, opt out.
Thus current regulations are at best “iffy”, and transparency and enforcement are relegated to admonishments or threats by Western powers. However, threats are dangerous tools; first they have to be believable second they have to be restrictive to the target. A threat to bomb nuclear facility -- although believable -- is not restrictive. It is a threat to all other countries that do not cater or cave into Western whims. It is a new imperialism that posits “do as I say not as I do” enforced by the fear of nuclear holocaust.
This makes the “enforcer” -- not the developer -- a general existential threat to all countries, forcing them to develop nuclear weapons, no matter how expensive to assure their continued existence. In short, the current sanctions policy will guarantee illicit weapon proliferation throughout the world instead of preventing it.
Between this whimsical policy of coercion and total chaos, is the IAEA with the objective to “seek to accelerate ….(the) contribution of atomic energy to peace…(and) ensure, so far as it is able, that assistance provided by it …. or under its supervision or control is not used … to further any military purpose.” Thus the mandate of the IAEA is to promote nuclear energy but not nuclear weapons; i.e., nuclear knowledge for peace only. But, as any engineer knows, that is impossible. Nuclear knowledge is indifferent; it can be used for peace or war, just depends on the goals of the country.
A new vision is required; one that sees the world for what it is, not some virtual never land. Nuclear weapon proliferation is dangerous; but wishing it away or seeking to destroy everyone -- not to the West’s liking -- is no solution.
So what shall be done? Instead of nations posturing and threatening, it is time to revisit the IAEA and the rather ridiculous and toothless NPT. It is time reorganize the IAEA (or similar institution) and give it the explicit mission; authority and enforcement capability to search out and control any weaponized nuclear material.
It is time to establish a regime where every single ounce of refined nuclear material is controlled. This material should be inventoried under the auspices of an authorized and capable international body, a body that has the power to enforce and, if necessary, impound or remove any nuclear material should it suspect deviation from its protocols. It is imperative, for the continued existence of all mankind, to account for every single ounce of nuclear material and every single nuclear weapon and its whereabouts.
This may contradict the concept of the sanctity of the national state but, with Pandora’s box open and nuclear knowledge everywhere, the alternative is everlasting war or marking most of the world - hic sunt dracones.
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RE: Ranapanah
by Bored iranian dude (not verified) on Sun Jan 20, 2008 05:27 AM PSTTrue, with tax money I mean treasury, national resources. For example the 50 million dollar handout to Hamas, the tens if not hundreds of millions given to Hezbollah. The millions in heavy weaponary, rocket techonology, just given away. I prefer the money to be used for my people, not for militant organizations in conflicts that are not Iranian and do not involve my people. You gave two lines for the bad consequences, let me add some more:
1. Complete economical sanction by the economical powerhouses in the world that support Israel and have natural close ties with the US than Iran ever will. Putting more hardship on the Iranian people, making them more impoverished, forcing a; Brain drain, increased prostitution, increase of HIV, increased drug use and so on.
2. The risk for total war. The americans do not need Saudi bases for an attack. They need to launch one small raid to start an Iranian retaliation, and then they can use all of their power in the excuse for protecting the Arabs against "Iranian influence". Just like Saddam did, and trust me, if history is right, the arabs will tag along like always. Not to mention that the threat of war is killing all hopes for investment in Iran, causing more poverty and what I wrote above.
3. This entire situation just makes an illegal governemnt with a fascist constitution, the IRI, to gather more power and lead our society in a more anti liberal and anti freedom loving path.
4. We are alienating what would have been natural allies for Iran. Israel, much like Iran, is under constant threat of a pan arab nationalism movement, one evident under the reign of Saddam. No matter how much support you give the arab movements, Iran will ALWAYS be looked as an outsider. Sunni arabs in Iraq, if you read their interviews, hate "the persians" more than the americans, and are willing to serve under a force that has killed and raped their women, so that they can fight against "Iranian shia influence". This is the case, and will always be the case. Israel, Iran and Turkey are countries that have common security interests, we dont know where the next Saddam will pop out in these unstable arab countries. By supporting Hezbollah and Hamas, we are pushing Israel away.
You see, I dont care if your Sunni, Shia or agnostic, I believe that if you had a liberal Iran, with true freedom and a healthy economy, every country in the region would look to us for support and consultation. Pull back from the middle east conflict, talk directly to Israel, and the issues with the US and the west will solve itself. These are trustworthy allies, not Russia and China whom would sell their own mothers for a price if need be. By the way, sorry for my long reply.
RE: bored Iraniand dude
by Ranapanah on Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:00 AM PSTFirst Iranians tax money couldn't even fund edare darai.
I won't argue if funding Hamas or Hizbullah is correct or not, I'm only going to look at the good and bad consequences of this.
The bad consequence has been the bad reputation for Iran but the good consequence, especially after the Lebanon war, has been :
1. it won the respect of the sunni countries in the region, if not their governments but their people. You had a shia organization fighting for their Sunni brothers, and these people were allegedly funded by Iran. Basically Iran has bought the support of Sunni Muslins in different countries such as Egypt. How is that a good thing? Well we have Saudi saying it wont allow the US bases in her country to be used to attack Iran.
2. Knowing that Iran has allies so close to Israel is a good thing for our country right now. It makes Iran into the power that Americans actually fear in the region. From the political stand point, Iran is not making a wrong move.
There are more countries in the world aside from the world powers. Iran is acting as their beacon of hope. African countries, South American Countries, etc, are all thinking if this country could stand up to the world powers and ask for her rights so can we.
I agree BUT
by Bored iranian dude (not verified) on Sat Jan 19, 2008 07:03 AM PSTAs you pointed out, nuclear power is very sensetive technology. When you live in a region where the eyes of the entire world is fixed upon because of economical concerns, you first need to have stable relations with the main world powers, before embarking on such a mission. The islamic government of Iran works the opposite. They fund Hamas and Hezbollah with iranian tax payers money, and involve us in the middle east conflict where we dont belong at all since this is a war that will go on and on forever between the Arabs and The Israelis. Not to mention Lebanon and Iraq. Israel, wether you like it or not, is a state that has exeptional relations with one of the leading world powers, the US (Im not debating the moral positions of these countries as all countries have filth under the carpet, even Iran). I dont doubt for a single second that if we had a secular state with equal rights for all, a state that had peace, friendship and trade with all nations as a main policy, including Israel, that the worry about our Uranium enrichment program would be much less as it is today. We need a constitutional change in Iran that put our politics, both domestic and abroad, in a more neutral and freedom loving perspective. if we did, our missile and nuke technology would be debated as much as Japans missile and nuke technology is being debated, which equals to none what so ever.
Let your vision .....
by Mona 19 (not verified) on Sat Jan 19, 2008 04:19 AM PSTLet your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self.