| August 7, 2006 | | | | decreasing stability in the Middle East while Iran |
| In a September 2002 speech to the UN General | | | | tries to better its geopolitical position. The Iranian |
| Assembly, President Bush asked a pointed and | | | | government deals harshly with dissent at home |
| crucially important question to the national | | | | and uses international terror to increase its power |
| representatives who had gathered to hear him | | | | relative to other Arab nations and the West. |
| talk about the looming war with Saddam Hussein's | | | | Iran is a nation that must be dealt with, and soon. |
| Iraq: Will the United Nations serve the purpose of | | | | There can be no mistake about Ahmadinejad's |
| its founding, or will it be irrelevant? The current | | | | quest for nuclear power and regional influence. He |
| impasse over Iran's nuclear ambitions may soon | | | | does not take the United Nations seriously |
| provide the answer to the President's question. | | | | because he has repeatedly been witness to the |
| Almost immediately after the passing of a UN | | | | futility of the Security Council when confronted |
| Security Council resolution demanding that Iran | | | | with matters of grave importance. He has |
| halt its uranium enrichment activities by the end | | | | rejected the UN's call to halt his country's |
| of August, state radio services began reporting | | | | enrichment of uranium because he believes the |
| that the Council's demands would be rejected. On | | | | five permanent members of the Council will never |
| August 1, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | | | | come to an agreement on either meaningful |
| officially denounced the resolution, insisting that | | | | sanctions or the use of military force. |
| Tehran was committed to its pursuit of nuclear | | | | By setting a deadline, the Security Council has |
| technology and would not be bullied by threats | | | | drawn its line in the sand. If Iran fails to stop |
| from the UN. Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ari | | | | uranium enrichment activities by the end of |
| Larijani, went a step further, calling the UN | | | | August, the Council will convene once more to |
| resolution "illegal" and boasting that Iran would not | | | | discuss options for dealing with Ahmadinejad's |
| only defy the Council's wishes, but would increase | | | | regime. But don't count on anything significant |
| its uranium enrichment activities as well. | | | | coming out of the Security Council's meetings. |
| There are two problems with Iran's "right" to | | | | Two of the permanent five are already wavering, |
| pursue nuclear technology: the lack of | | | | with both the Chinese and Russian envoys |
| transparency provided by the hard-line | | | | downplaying the threat of sanctions immediately |
| government and the threat posed by the Iranian | | | | after the passing of the resolution. According to |
| regime itself. Both require the global community to | | | | the Washington Post, the Russian and Chinese |
| confront Iran over its nuclear program. | | | | representatives say the main goal of the |
| Lack of transparency has been a decades-long | | | | resolution was to encourage Iran to resume |
| dilemma. Iran has consistently shrouded its nuclear | | | | negotiations and to support the efforts by UN |
| plans in secrecy, and UN inspectors have | | | | nuclear experts to obtain greater cooperation |
| repeatedly been blocked from access to sites and | | | | from Tehran. |
| personnel involved in nuclear work. While Iran's | | | | Sadly, this type of political backtracking is typical |
| ambassador to the UN claims his country's nuclear | | | | of Security Council deliberations and a major |
| advances are no threat to peace and security in | | | | reason why the United Nations is largely |
| the world, the actions of his government make it | | | | ineffective on global security issues. Countries |
| impossible to determine the intent and scope of | | | | initially stand together behind generic statements |
| nuclear progress. Without access to key atomic | | | | that foster the perception of cooperation, but |
| facilities and players, there can be no credible | | | | coalitions quickly fracture when the strategic and |
| assurances that Iran's nuclear program is for | | | | economic interests of individual nations outweigh |
| peaceful energy production and not for the | | | | the importance of consensus for the greater |
| development of nuclear weapons. | | | | global good. Inevitably, the UN will bog down yet |
| But none of this is should be a surprise. The very | | | | again in the face of Iranian nuclear development. |
| nature of the regime is itself a threat to other | | | | Ahmadinejad sees what President Bush sees: that |
| nations. The government is headed by a radical | | | | the weakness of the United Nations ultimately |
| former member of the Revolutionary Guard who | | | | means UN resolutions can be defied without |
| never misses an opportunity to call for the | | | | consequence. If the UN fails to come together |
| destruction of Israel, or to spew hateful rhetoric | | | | now, when global peace and security are |
| about the United States and the West. Iran is a | | | | threatened by a potentially nuclear-armed terrorist |
| leading state sponsor of terrorism with ties to | | | | regime dedicated to the destruction of the West, |
| Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the | | | | it will once again demonstrate to the world that its |
| Palestine Liberation Organization. The regime | | | | member nations cannot fulfill its founding purpose. |
| continually exerts its influence among Shiites in | | | | It will become, as President Bush warned, |
| Iraq, Lebanon, and the Palestinian Territories, | | | | irrelevant. |