The New York Times-20080128-Too Easy to Refuse- -Editorial-
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Too Easy to Refuse; [Editorial]
Full Text (543 words)Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made Iran another offer it could refuse last week. Speaking in Davos, Ms. Rice said that the United States didn't want Iran as a permanent enemy and that better relations were possible if Tehran would give up its nuclear fuel program.
Iran has already rejected similar nebulous, highly conditional offers from the White House, and it seemed unimpressed this time. It is likely to have the same non-reaction to a third sanctions resolution now being considered by the United Nations Security Council. The proposal opens up a potentially significant new penalty by urging states to inspect cargo on Iranian ships and aircraft if they are suspected of transporting prohibited nuclear-related items. But it still lacks real economic bite.
We were surprised, and somewhat reassured, that America and Europe managed to get China and Russia to sign on to any resolution. All of the key players -- except the United States -- have strong economic reasons not to put the squeeze on Iran. And President Bush has made things a lot harder: raising the specter of World War III even as his intelligence community was reporting that Iran had abandoned its secret weapons program, if not its nuclear ambitions.
So the fact that the major powers are still talking about even limited sanctions may surprise some in Tehran. But apparently even Moscow and Beijing have no doubts about the danger of Iran's overt nuclear efforts. The longer Iran defies the Security Council and continues to enrich uranium, the closer its scientists get to mastering the skills for building a weapon. Without stronger punishments and stronger incentives, Iran is unlikely to halt its efforts.
Even if the resolution is adopted, European, Asian and gulf states -- which all say they're fearful of Iran's nuclear appetites -- should make their own effort to tighten economic screws. They can start by ordering their banks to stop dealing with Iranian banks Melli and Saderat. America's crackdown on the banks last year has raised Iran's cost of doing international business.
Russia and the Arab states must also stop trying to have it both ways with Iran. Even as it threw its weight behind a new sanctions resolution, Russia delivered more fuel for Iran's nuclear power reactor at Bushehr. Saudi Arabia, which is as fearful as Washington about Tehran's nuclear ambitions, was host to Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for the recent hajj pilgrimage. Last week another close American ally, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, had his first-ever chat on the phone about regional issues with the Iranian president.
As for incentives, that's Washington's department. Just talking about better relations is clearly not enough to get Tehran's attention. What is needed is a credible grand gesture, like sending a high-level envoy to Tehran with a concrete list of diplomatic and economic rewards, including a timetable for restoring full diplomatic relations with the United States -- if Tehran is ready to deal.
We can't guarantee that Mr. Ahmadinejad and the mullahs are interested. It would send a strong message to Iran's citizens about the folly of their leaders' course. It would give Mr. Bush the credibility to demand that the Russians, the Chinese, the Egyptians, the Saudis, and the list goes on, do more to stop enabling Tehran.
