Iran, Nukes, Diplomacy and other options (catch all thread 2007-2010)

[Galrahn]

While many in the Iranian foreign policy elite cringe at the President's antics and declarations, don't underestimate the way it plays with both hardliners and his broader voter base, among whom tweaking the US can score domestic points.

I agree. In negotiation this is part of the give though. I'm not sure I believe this hurts those in opposition though. I do not see building domestic support for the civilian nuclear program within Iran as zero sum against a coalition opposition to a nuclear weapons program, because to sell domestic support for peaceful civilian nuclear eneergy, Iran is selling the absence of a nuclear weapons program.

That makes any future IAEA discovery of a weapons program in Iran a silver bullet for both internal and external supporters and critics. Too bad the track record for uncovering silver bullets is checkered, at best.

Iran has played their cards very smart. They have in effect been mostly legal in their process, which will allow them to achieve nuclear energy without a nuclear weapons program even under sanctions, and leave them in a position where a nuclear weapons program would only require a few months to convert into should they so desire in the future.