09/26/07: How do we deal with Iran - letter by Sam Romano in the Janesville Gazette
How do we deal with Iran? To the Editor, the Janesville Gazette:
For five years, I've had a sign on my front lawn that says, "War Is Not The Answer," quoting Dr. Martin Luther King. Unfortunately, while the nation and Congress try to end the war in Iraq, President Bush and Vice President Cheney have set wheels in motion to start a second war, against Iran. The administration charges that Iran is enriching uranium to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of producing civilian nuclear power. That charge might ultimately prove true; however, thus far the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) hasn't found evidence to prove that Iran has passed the production threshold to develop nuclear weapons.
What to do?
1) Maintain dialogue with Iran and negotiate with sanctions and incentives.
2) Support IAEA efforts to maintain robust verification efforts to ensure transparency in not only Iran's operations but in all nations with nuclear energy capacity.
3) The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) of 1968, which the United States signed and ratified, established that non-nuclear nations would not develop nuclear weapons and that those having nuclear weapons would move toward abolishing such weapons. The United States must take the lead with real disarmament as a confidence measure for all nations.
4) No preemptive war or bombing by a "coalition of the willing."
5) Acknowledge the nuclear weapons programs of three nonsignature nations to the NPT, i.e. Israel, Pakistan and India, and encourage nuclear disarmament by those countries.
6) Put a second sign on our front lawns.
SAM ROMANO
Elkhorn sromano@charter.net
For five years, I've had a sign on my front lawn that says, "War Is Not The Answer," quoting Dr. Martin Luther King. Unfortunately, while the nation and Congress try to end the war in Iraq, President Bush and Vice President Cheney have set wheels in motion to start a second war, against Iran. The administration charges that Iran is enriching uranium to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of producing civilian nuclear power. That charge might ultimately prove true; however, thus far the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) hasn't found evidence to prove that Iran has passed the production threshold to develop nuclear weapons.
What to do?
1) Maintain dialogue with Iran and negotiate with sanctions and incentives.
2) Support IAEA efforts to maintain robust verification efforts to ensure transparency in not only Iran's operations but in all nations with nuclear energy capacity.
3) The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) of 1968, which the United States signed and ratified, established that non-nuclear nations would not develop nuclear weapons and that those having nuclear weapons would move toward abolishing such weapons. The United States must take the lead with real disarmament as a confidence measure for all nations.
4) No preemptive war or bombing by a "coalition of the willing."
5) Acknowledge the nuclear weapons programs of three nonsignature nations to the NPT, i.e. Israel, Pakistan and India, and encourage nuclear disarmament by those countries.
6) Put a second sign on our front lawns.
SAM ROMANO
Elkhorn sromano@charter.net
Submitted by wnpj on Fri, 09/28/2007 - 8:40am.