THE IRAN OPTIONS. I spent much of the day at the National Iranian American Council/New America Foundation conference, "US-Iran Relations: collision, stand-off, or convergence?," about which more tomorrow, so am just getting around to Ezra's item. I'd like to agree with the commentator who argued that it would be a politically disqualifying act for any presidential candidate to take military action off the table in dealing with a country that is a potential regional threat, and that it would be folly for any group on the left to demand this of them. There are basically three options for handling Iran: 1) Engagement. As was recommended by the Iraq Study Group, talks could potentially begin over security questions involving Iraq, and move from there to other issues, such as Iran's nuclear aspirations. Democrat Jane Harman of California, the conference's luncheon speaker, recommended this approach, as well as economic sanctions. 2) Containment. Conference speakers noted that, in addition to the specific sanctions laid out under U.N. Resolution 1737, informal economic sanctions are already being deployed against Iran and having an impact, as European firms become increasingly reluctant to do business with Iran or Iranian companies. A U.N. process resulting in tougher economic sanctions and international divestment could have a considerable impact, but the pinch of such sanctions would have to be measured against the potentially emboldening effect of the broader political and security situation, according to NIAC president Trita Parsi. In any event, sanctions are America's strongest ground for boxing Iran in and weakening the regime. 3) Confrontation. Targetted military strikes of suspected nuclear facilities or other military action. Those are the three basic approaches. The way things are breaking, it seems as though the Democrats are in favor of steps 1 and 2, without taking 3 off the table, while the administration sees the options as between 2 and 3, with an institutional and ideological bias toward 3.
--Garance Franke-Ruta
