Iranian supreme leader Ali Khameini proved today that he applies well the lessons of his youth -- especially his inclination to share his toys, even those he does not yet possess. The chief Iranian mullah promised his Sudanese counterpart the bounty of all the scientific progress of the Iranians, a pointed reference to Iran's intent to spread nuclear weapons among Islamist nations:

Iran's supreme leader said Tuesday at a meeting here with the Sudanese president that Iran was ready to share its nuclear technology with other countries.

"Iran's nuclear capability is one example of various scientific capabilities in the country," the leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said to President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, the news agency IRNA reported. "The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to transfer the experience, knowledge and technology of its scientists."

Mr. Khamenei made his comments just days before the Friday deadline set by the United Nations Security Council for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment.

This only confirms what the world knew would happen if the Iranians got their hands on nuclear weapons. Their successes in controlling the nuclear cycle makes this worse; they could eventually produce enough material not just for their arsenal, but could also build arsenals for various Islamist governments in the region. The Iranians and the rest of the Islamist fanatics understand that nuclear weapons will create a standoff in which they can hold the West at bay while they strengthen their grip on the critical oil fields of the region. Instead of democracy flowering across the region, we will see entrenched petty dictatorships.

The Iranians followed up this statement by Khameini by warning the West to do nothing in response to it. Their nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, said that any sanctions would result in their withdrawal from the IAEA and the NPT. Military strikes would only press the Iranians towards driving their weapons programs further underground, literally as well as figuratively.

Unfortunately, the series of provocative statements issued by Iranian leadership underscores the need for the West to take action now. That does not necessarily mean military strikes, although it almost seems as though Teheran wants it to come. They may want a traditional attack to garner support for their unpopular regime. The US and Europe need to try aggressive measures to support dissident movements and undermine the lunatics of the Guardian Council. The only way to guarantee the disarmament of Iran is regime change, but that brought about by the Iranians themselves.

As our friend Michael Ledeen says -- faster, please. Because slower means spreading Iran's nuclear weapons across the entire Middle East.

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry is